Absence of HTLV-I and HTLV-II Proviral Genome in the Brains of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Previous studies have failed to provide serological evidence to incriminate a retroviral infection in the cause of multiple sclerosis. Gene amplification techniques have also failed to identify retroviral footprints in DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes. Here we provide evidence that proviral DNA of HTLV-I and HTLV-II is not found in the central nervous system tissues of patients with multiple sclerosis, patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and controls.