RESEARCH - Association of measles virus with RA

[Guest guest]

J Rheumatol. 2009 Feb 27.

Association of Measles Virus with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rosenau BJ, Schur PH.

From the Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy, Department

of Medicine, and the Division of Laboratory Medicine, Brigham and

Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory

polyarthritis; while the cause is unknown, it has been speculated that

an infectious agent could be the trigger for the disease. Numerous

attempts at isolating an agent have been unsuccessful. Our purpose was

to identify a virus from diseased tissue from a patient with RA.

METHODS: Diseased tissue taken at the time of knee replacement surgery

from a patient with RA was inoculated into several cell lines and

observed for cytopathic effect. Cells from the tissue were also grown

as explants and were examined for viruses. Synovial fluid drawn 4

years prior to the surgery and frozen at -70 degrees C was also

inoculated into cell lines. Following the development of a cytopathic

effect and identification of the agent, sera from 50 patients with

rheumatoid factor (RF)-negative RA were examined for IgM antibodies to

the agent.

RESULTS: After many inoculations and numerous subpassages, measles

virus was identified in 6 cell lines inoculated with either the minced

tissue or synovial fluid. Six cell lines co-cultivated with one or

more of 9 explants also showed the presence of measles virus. Measles

virus was confirmed by immunofluorescence and by neutralization.

Eleven of 50 (22%) sera samples from patients with RF-negative RA had

IgM antibodies to measles virus recombinant nucleoprotein.

CONCLUSION: There is an association between measles virus and RA.

PMID: 19273454

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19273454

Not an MD

[Guest guest]

This was interesting, and it makes me wonder two things:

1-If someone were vaccinated against measles with a live vaccine, but never had

a full-blown case of measles, would the outcome still be the same? I was

vaccinated as a child and again 16 years ago after the birth of my second (and

last) child.

2-As a child, I had a full-blown case of the mumps. I wonder if there have been

studies done regarding mumps and RA.

Thanks for all you do, . I firmly believe that knowledge is POWER.

Doreen

>

> J Rheumatol. 2009 Feb 27.

>

>

> Association of Measles Virus with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

>

>

> Rosenau BJ, Schur PH.

> From the Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy, Department

> of Medicine, and the Division of Laboratory Medicine, Brigham and

> Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

>

>

> OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory

> polyarthritis; while the cause is unknown, it has been speculated that

> an infectious agent could be the trigger for the disease. Numerous

> attempts at isolating an agent have been unsuccessful. Our purpose was

> to identify a virus from diseased tissue from a patient with RA.

>

> METHODS: Diseased tissue taken at the time of knee replacement surgery

> from a patient with RA was inoculated into several cell lines and

> observed for cytopathic effect. Cells from the tissue were also grown

> as explants and were examined for viruses. Synovial fluid drawn 4

> years prior to the surgery and frozen at -70 degrees C was also

> inoculated into cell lines. Following the development of a cytopathic

> effect and identification of the agent, sera from 50 patients with

> rheumatoid factor (RF)-negative RA were examined for IgM antibodies to

> the agent.

>

> RESULTS: After many inoculations and numerous subpassages, measles

> virus was identified in 6 cell lines inoculated with either the minced

> tissue or synovial fluid. Six cell lines co-cultivated with one or

> more of 9 explants also showed the presence of measles virus. Measles

> virus was confirmed by immunofluorescence and by neutralization.

> Eleven of 50 (22%) sera samples from patients with RF-negative RA had

> IgM antibodies to measles virus recombinant nucleoprotein.

>

> CONCLUSION: There is an association between measles virus and RA.

>

>

> PMID: 19273454

>

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19273454

>

>

>

> Not an MD

>