Molecular Identification and Characterization in blood samples of patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and human kidney cell line culture of John Cunningham Virus (JCV) in Iraq

Diagnosis of PML (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy) reside on the demonstration of demyelinating lesions in brain biopsy in patients suffering from typical signs and symptoms supported by viral isolation in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. However, it is not always possible to take brain biopsy either due to lack of patients will or the inavailability of well-equipped centers to perform and to histologically read brain biopsy. One the other hand serological detection of viral antibodies lacks the desired sensitivity since many published articles gave different rate of serological detection of ant-JC viral antibody.

to find out the validity of RT-PCR and human kidney cell line cultures as adjuvant to aid in the diagnosis of PML.

Blood samples were obtained from all patients and subjected to PCR analysis for viral DNA detection and for serologic identification of anti-JC virus antibody. Human kidney cell line was grown into monolayer and infected with blood samples taken from patients with PML.

serologic detection rate was far more than viral DAN detection by PCR in patients blood; however 10 patients who were serologically negative exhibited JC virus DNA in their blood isolated by PCR. Human kidney cell line is successful method for JC virus cultivation.

Despite being of low sensitivity molecular isolation of JC virus DNA applied on blood samples improves the sensitivity of routine serologic methods and that human kidney cell line may add to the diagnostic workup of JV induce PML.