Research: HERVs increase in MSers/PwMS

#MSBlog: Retroviruses associated with MS differ in males and females. Is this a tantalising clue to MS?

Epub: Garcia-Montojo et al. The DNA Copy Number of Human Endogenous Retrovirus-W (MSRV-Type) Is Increased in Multiple Sclerosis Patients and Is Influenced by Gender and Disease Severity. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e53623. doi: 10.1371/ journal. pone. 0053623.

BACKGROUND: MS associated retrovirus element (MSRV) is a member of type-W endogenous retrovirus family (HERV-W), known to be associated to MS. Most HERVs are unable to replicate but MSRV expression associated with reverse-transcriptase activity in MS would explain reported DNA copy number increase in MSers. A potential link between HERV-W copies on chromosome X and gender differential prevalence has been suggested. The present study addresses MSRV-type DNA load in relation with the gender differences and clinical status in MS and healthy controls. 


RESULTS:178 MSers (62.9% women) and 124 controls (56.5% women) were included. MSRV env load (copies/pg of DNA) was analyzed by real time qPCR with specific primers and probe for its env gene, in DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). MSRV load was more elevated in MSers than in controls (p = 4.15e-7). MS women presented higher MSRV load than control women (p = 0.009) and MS men also had higher load than control men (p = 2.77e-6). Besides, women had higher levels than men, both among MSers (p = 0.007) and controls (p = 1.24e-6). Concordantly, EDSS and MSSS scores were higher among female patients with an elevated MSRV load (p = 0.03 and p = 0.04, respectively). 

CONCLUSION: MSRV increases its copy number in PBMC of MSers and particularly in women with high clinical scores. This may explain causes underlying the higher prevalence of MS in women. The association with the clinical severity calls for further investigations on MSRV load in PBMCs as a biomarker for MS.


"Another tantalising study from the Perron group suggesting that HERVs are associated with MS. It would be great if other groups would start working on HERVs in MS and if someone had the courage to do a a study using an anti-viral targeting HERVs. The real unanswered questions is how does HERVs explain the epidemiology of MS. This includes the changing prevalence, the latitudinal gradient, the association with EBV and vD deficiency, the link with smoking and its interaction with the genetic factors that have been identified to date."

"HERVs and MS may become one of my grand challenges for 2013 and beyond!"

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