THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF HUMAN ENDOGENOUS RETROVIRUS HERV-E λ 4-1 EXPRESSION IN BLOOD IMMUNE CELLS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS

Abstract

In order to investigate the function of human endogenous retrovirus HERV-E λ 4-1 in multiple sclerosis pathogenesis, the comparative research of frequency of this retrovirus expression and mRNA level on different types of blood immune cells of progredient course multiple sclerosis patients have been conducted with using of the reverse - transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated on Ficoll density gradient centrifugations. Monocytes were separated by the adhesion to plastic Petri dishes. For the estimation of the mitogen-induced HERV-E λ 4-1 expression, blood mononuclear cells were incubated with adding of phytogemagglutinin or pokeweed mitogen during 72 hours in CO2 incubator at 37 °C and 5% CO2. Results of HERV-E λ 4-1 env gene expression estimation demonstrate that both monocytes and lymphocytes express HERV-E λ 4-1. The level of the HERV-E λ 4-1 env mRNA was higher in lymphocytes than in monocytes. The main source of HERV-E λ 4-1 in progredient course MS patients between blood immune cells are lymphocytes, especially B lymphocytes.