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Bob, thanks for helping to keep the information on the list updated, on track and factual....Joan Hartman ----- Original Message ----- From: Robert A. Fink, M. D. <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, February 11, 2000 7:46 PM Subject: Viruses and MS/Parkinson's > A week or so ago, there was a series of postings (I think that Ivan was > the main poster) about the possible relationship between viruses and > the cause of Parkinson's disease. This logic was also extended to > multiple sclerosis by others, and the Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) > was mentioned prominently. At the time, I urged caution regarding > some sweeping comments which were being made on this List > regarding this material. > > I asked my Medical Library to access some articles on the issue, and I > found an excellent Guest Editorial, which appeared in the Journal of > NeuroVirology (1998) 4, 471-473. The Editorial is entitled, > "Association of human herpesvirus-6 and multiple sclerosis: here we > go again?", and the author is Dr. Steven Jacobson, Chief of the Viral > Immunology Section, National Institutes of Neurologic Disorders and > Stroke, in Bethesda, Maryland. > > Table 1 reports the huge number of viruses which have been > implicated in the past concerning multiple sclerosis. These include: > > Rabies 1946, 1964 > Herpes simplex 1964 > Scrapie agent 1965 > "Multiple sclerosis associated agent" 1962 > Parainfluenza 1 1972 > Measles 1972 > Simian virus 5 1978 > Canine distemper virus 1978 > Chimpanzee cytomegalovirus 1979 > Coronovirus 1980 > SMON-like virus 1982 > Tick-borne encephalitis 1982 > HTLV-I 1986 > LM7, MSRV (retrovirus) 1989, 1997 > HSV-I 1989 > MS1533 (retrovirus) 1994 > HHV-6 1993, 1995 > > None of these agents have been proven as a cause of multiple > sclerosis or PD. > > The last paragraph of the article reads: > > The search for a viral etiology in MS has led investigators in many > directions for so many years. As presented in this editorial, extreme > caution must be exercised in the interpretations of virus-associations > and neurologic disease. Will a single viral agent ever be shown to be > involved in MS or will multiple viral 'triggers' be associated with > disease? If a virus is known to be ubiquitous, how can definitive > proof of cause and the effect be established? In the absence of such > proof, can anti-viral therapeutic strategies be rationally applied in MS > clinical trials? [there is even less association with PD and thus even > less indication for such therapeutic trials]. Would the failure of such a > trial rule out a virus association? There and many other questions > remain unaswered. Investigations to confirm or refute virus > association in MS undoubtedly will lead us into new areas of > neurovirological research where information is being acquired at an > expanding rate..... > > The entire article should be available at good medical libraries. > > > Best, > > Bob > > > ********************************************** > Robert A. Fink, M. D., F.A.C.S., P. C. > 2500 Milvia Street Suite 222 > Berkeley, California 94704-2636 > Telephone: 510-849-2555 FAX: 510-849-2557 > WWW: http://www.dovecom.com/rafink/ > > mailto:[log in to unmask] > > "Ex Tristitia Virtus" > > ********************************************* >