PROGRESSIVE MULTIFOCAL LEUKOENCEPHALOPATHY - NEUROPATHOLOGY AND VIRUS ISOLATION

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 31  (6) , 953-961
Abstract
The mechanism of demyelination in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) was elucidated by demonstrating ultrastructurally the relationship between the affected glial cells and myelin sheaths. The myelinating cells in the CNS, oligodendroglias, were specifically attacked by PML-virus, with eventual primary destruction of myelin sheaths. An attempt to isolate PML-virus from autopsy material was made. The presence of virus particles in the extracts from the brain, reactions of virions with antibodies and evidence of virus proliferation in primary human fetal glial cell culture was shown by various techniques including negative staining, immunofluorescence, immuno-EM and electron micrography. The isolated virus was antigenically identical with JC type papovaviruses.