HHV-6 and MS

Wisconsin Viral Research Group, Ltd.

About HHV-6: HHV-6 and Disease

HHV-6 and Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is chronic disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The primary recognized symptoms of MS are CNS-related and occur as a result of the inflammation or destruction of myelin, the insulating material that surrounds the nerve fibers that make up the CNS. Loss or inflammation of myelin causes disturbances or short circuits in the flow of nerve impulses. These impulses control our muscles and are responsible for our thought processes and our senses (sight, hearing, touch, etc.). The interruptions in these impulses result in the symptoms a of MS, including sensory impairment, coordination and cognitive problems, and muscle weakness. Fatigue is also a common complaint among MS patients.

The causes for this destruction of myelin are unknown. It has long been suspected that genetic makeup coupled with a viral infection of the CNS serve as a trigger for the development of MS.
HHV-6 is known to infect and destroy the cells that produce myelin.
In the last few years, our laboratory and others have found evidence suggesting the involvement of HHV-6in MS.

One of our studies used a specialized staining procedure that detected localized areas of active HHV-6 infection in brain tissues (taken at autopsy) in over 70% of MS patients. The areas of HHV-6 infection coincided with areas of myelin destruction in these tissues. Comparison studies of tissue from normal brains and brain tissue from patients with other forms of neurological disease revealed the complete absence of active HHV-6 infection.

In a study done with blood samples from 43 MS patients and 61 normal controls, 56% of the MS patients were positive for active HHV-6. None of the normal controls tested positive. This demonstrates that active HHV-6 infections in the blood are highly abnormal.

Based on our findings and those of other investigators, we believe that HHV-6 infection plays an important role in the development of MS. We also believe that infection of this patient population with active HHV-6 can account for some of the clinical symptoms of this disease. This raises the possibility that MS may be effectively treated with antiviral drugs capable of suppressing the replication of HHV-6.

For more detailed information about HHV-6 and MS, click here.