In situ polymerase chain reaction demonstration of JC virus in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, including an index case

Keisuke Ueki, Edward P. Richardson, John W. Henson, David N. Louis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease that is caused by JC papovavirus. The virus can be demonstrated in brains with PML using a variety of techniques. In situ polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a new method that combines the sensitivity of PCR with the histological localization of in situ hybridization. We here show that in situ PCR can detect JC virus in archival tissue sections of 3 cases of PML, including 1 of the original cases described in 1958 and 1 case that was fixed in formalin for 7 weeks. JC virus DNA was amplified directly on tissue and demonstrated in the characteristic enlarged oligodendrocytes and bizarre astrocytes. These data illustrate the utility of the in situ PCR technique in detecting JC virus in archival sections, including those fixed for prolonged periods, and provide a historical footnote to the original report of PML.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)670-673
Number of pages4
JournalAnnals of Neurology
Volume36
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1994
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology

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