Characterization of retroviruses from patients with multiple sclerosis

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent gene products, latent membrane protein (LMP) and EBV nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA 2), seem to have important roles in EBV-induced cell transformation in vitro, and have been implicated as important effector molecules in EBV-associated lymphomagenesis. Because up to 35% of Hodgkin's disease (HD) samples have been reported to contain EBV genomes, the expression of LMP and EBNA 2 in these tumours was investigated. 84 cases of HD were studied with monoclonal antibodies and immunohistochemical labelling of acetone-fixed cryostat sections. LMP, but not EBNA 2, was demonstrated in Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells of 40 cases (48%); the two proteins were easily detected in transformed lymphocytes of positive control acute infectious mononucleosis tonsils. LMP expression in RS cells varied according to the histological subtype of HD (1/10 cases [10%] of lymphocyte predominance subtype, 16/50 cases [32%] of nodular sclerosis, 23/24 [96%] cases of mixed cellularity type). That the LMP antibodies showed no substantial cross-reactivity with negative control tissues shows that they are useful probes for the diagnosis of latent EBV infection in tissue sections. The findings suggest that EBV is associated with more cases of HD than was previously recognised, that in positive cases RS cells express a latent infection protein phenotype (LMP+, EBNA 2-) which differs from that of other EBV-associated lymphomas, and that LMP expression is related to histologically aggressive subtypes of HD.

Reverse transcriptase (RT) is an indispensable component of infectious retroviruses. We have developed an ultrasensitive RT test in which RNA of bacteriophage MS2 serves as the template for RT-mediated cDNA synthesis. A fragment of the cDNA is selectively amplified by polymerase chain reaction and the amplification product is analyzed by Southern blot hybridization or enzyme immunoassay. The procedure was 10(6) to 10(7) times more sensitive than a conventional RT test and detected as little as 10(-9) unit of murine leukemia virus RT, which corresponded to 2.1 x 10(2) molecules, a number present in 3-11 virions. As a screening assay for filterable particle-associated RT, it was positive with supernatants from cell cultures producing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 or human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) type 1 or 2, but was negative with nonproducer cultures. It was positive with plasma samples from all tested individuals infected with HIV-1, HIV-2, or HTLV-1 and sera from cats infected with feline leukemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus. Control samples from blood donors or uninfected cats were negative. Density banding experiments with culture supernatants showed that the RT activity was associated with virus particles. The assay should detect all replication-competent retroviruses or similar agents. It may be used as a screening assay for such agents, for quantitation of the viral load, drug susceptibility testing of RT, and control of virus inactivation in biological products.