Serum Evaluation of Human T-lymphotropic Virus Type 1 and 2 (HTLV-I/II) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Abstract

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial disease that causes neurological disability. Human retroviruses may have a role in the etiology of several acute and chronic neurological disorders. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the presence of HTLV-I/II and HIV antibodies in the sera of MS patients to assess the relationship between these infections and MS. Methods: This case-control study was conducted on serum samples of MS patients and individuals admitted to the same hospital with no symptoms of MS as the control group. Samples were examined for HIV and HTLV-I/II antibodies using ELISA kits. Results: A total of 79 people, including 38 MS patients and 41 healthy individuals, were evaluated. The frequency of HIV antibodies was 0.0% in both the case and control groups. The HTLV-I/II antibodies were detected in 1 patient in the control group and no patients in the MS group, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P: 0.999). Conclusions: This study could not establish a relationship between the presence of HTLV-I/II or HIV antibodies and MS.