Retroviral interference with neuronotrophic signaling in human motor neuron disease?

Abstract

We tested 13/32 patients with non-familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) positive (41%) for human spuma retrovirus (HSRV) seroreactivity. Half the non-ALS HSRV-positive neurologic patients (12/25) reported multiple fasciculations within the last two years. Sera from four HSRV-env negative ALS patients measurably competed with visna antibodies on maedi-visna antigen. The serologies for bovine leukemia virus, Borna disease virus and GM1IgM-antibodies remained negative. Both visna and foamy virus sequences share epitopes with motor nervous system signal polypeptides, suggesting a retroviral interference with motor neurono-axonal function and neuronotrophic signals.

• Authors: M E Westarp, K P Westphal, J Clausen, H B Rasmussen, R Hoff-Jorgensen, B Föhring, H H Kornhuber
• Journal: Clinical physiology and biochemistry (Clin Physiol Biochem) Vol. 10 Issue 1 Pg. 1-7 ( 1993) ISSN: 0252-1164 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 8393394 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Nerve Growth Factors
• Nerve Tissue Proteins
• Protein Sorting Signals
• Retroviridae Proteins

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Amino Acid Sequence
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (etiology, immunology)
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Nerve Growth Factors (immunology)
• Nerve Tissue Proteins (immunology)
• Protein Sorting Signals (immunology)
• Retroviridae Infections (complications, immunology)
• Retroviridae Proteins (immunology)
• Spumavirus (immunology)