LYSOLECITHIN FUSION of CELLS FROM MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS WITH VERO CELLS

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Abstract
Cell cultures derived from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were used to trace a possible virus infection as a cause of the disease. Cell cultures were established from 1 brain autopsy specimen and 4 lymph node biopsies from MS patients. Lymphocytes from 28 MS patients and 6 healthy controls were used for fusion or cocultivation experiments, either immediately after isolation or after mixed lymphocyte cultures. Lysolecithin fusion and cocultivation experiments were made with [African green monkey kidney] Vero cells and with, respectively, cultured brain cells, lymph node cells and lymphocytes from MS patients. Electron microscopic examination revealed intranuclear filamentous structures in 5% of the cells in primary cultures of MS brain and lymph node and in control skin organ cultures. Multinucleated cells were found in 6 of 19 cocultures of Vero cells and MS lymphocytes preincubated for 2 days at 37.degree. C. The cultures were tested for the presence of viruses, i.e., measles virus and virus producing hemadsorption with human type O and/or guinea pig erythrocytes and virus against which the MS patients showed serum fluorescent-antibodies. No virus antigen could be demonstrated in the cells.

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