The Viral Analysis Unit of the LMMN has evaluated over 2000 clinical samples including CSF, plasma and serum for the detection of JC Virus genome sequences. This finding is diagnostic for PML, a rare but mostly fatal disease of the brain. The LMMN receives many such samples from around the world in circumstances in which diagnosis cannot be made on clear clinical findings alone. The VAU has made humdreds of determinations on such samples and provided critical information to neurologists and their patients for future medical care and treatment. In a survey of hundreds of plasma samples, it became clear that over 2% of the population worldwide can be viremic and that approximately 1% of the population is persistently viremic. Such numbers in a well defined and reliable assay system. The nature of the treatment that such viremic patients may receive for underlying diseases particularly that are classified as autoimmune diseases i.e. Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, Systemic Lupus Erythymatosis.

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$1,186,125
Indirect Cost
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State
Country
Zip Code
Soleimani-Meigooni, David N; Schwetye, Katherine E; Angeles, Maria Reyes et al. (2017) JC virus granule cell neuronopathy in the setting of chronic lymphopenia treated with recombinant interleukin-7. J Neurovirol 23:141-146
Turnquist, C; Horikawa, I; Foran, E et al. (2016) p53 isoforms regulate astrocyte-mediated neuroprotection and neurodegeneration. Cell Death Differ 23:1515-28
Zerbe, Christa S; Marciano, Beatriz E; Katial, Rohit K et al. (2016) Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in Primary Immune Deficiencies: Stat1 Gain of Function and Review of the Literature. Clin Infect Dis 62:986-94
Darbinyan, Armine; Major, Eugene O; Morgello, Susan et al. (2016) BK virus encephalopathy and sclerosing vasculopathy in a patient with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia and immunodeficiency. Acta Neuropathol Commun 4:73
Major, Eugene O; Nath, Avindra (2016) A link between long-term natalizumab dosing in MS and PML: Putting the puzzle together. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm 3:e235
Patera, Andriani C; Butler, Scott L; Cinque, Paola et al. (2015) 2nd International Conference on Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) 2015: JCV virology, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy pathogenesis, diagnosis and risk stratification, and new approaches to prevention and treatment. J Neurovirol 21:702-5
Ryschkewitsch, Caroline F; Jensen, Peter N; Major, Eugene O (2013) Multiplex qPCR assay for ultra sensitive detection of JCV DNA with simultaneous identification of genotypes that discriminates non-virulent from virulent variants. J Clin Virol 57:243-8
Major, Eugene O; Frohman, Elliot; Douek, Daniel (2013) JC viremia in natalizumab-treated patients with multiple sclerosis. N Engl J Med 368:2240-1
Havla, J; Berthele, A; Kumpfel, T et al. (2013) Co-occurrence of two cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in a natalizumab ""infusion group"". Mult Scler 19:1213-5
Perkins, Molly R; Ryschkewitsch, Caroline; Liebner, Julia C et al. (2012) Changes in JC virus-specific T cell responses during natalizumab treatment and in natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. PLoS Pathog 8:e1003014

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