Nearly one-half of Brazilian patients with multiple sclerosis using natalizumab are DNA-JC virus positive

• Main Authors: Yara Dadalti Fragoso, Maria Fernanda Mendes, Walter Oleschko Arruda, Jefferson Becker, Joseph Bruno Bidin Brooks, Margarete de Jesus Carvalho, Elizabeth Regina Comini-Frota, Renan Barros Domingues, Maria Lucia Brito Ferreira, Alessandro Finkelsztejn, Paulo Diniz da Gama, Sidney Gomes, Marcus Vinicius Magno Goncalves, Damacio Ramon Kaimen-Maciel, Rogerio de Rizo Morales, Andre Muniz, Heloisa Helena Ruocco, Pedro Rippel Salgado, Livia Brito Bezerra de Albuquerque, Rodrigo Assad Diniz da Gama, Sergio Georgeto, Josiane Lopes, Celso Luis Silva Oliveira, Francisco Tomaz Meneses Oliveira, Juliana Safanelli, Patricia Correia de Oliveira Saldanha, Massaco Satomi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Academia Brasileira de Neurologia (ABNEURO) 2013-10-01
• Series: Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
• Subjects: esclerose multipla; natalizumabe; JC virus; leucoencefalopatia multifocal progressiva
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2013001100780&lng=en&tlng=en

Objective Natalizumab is a new and efficient treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). The risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) during the use of this drug has created the need for better comprehension of JC virus (JCV) infection. The objective of the present study was to assess the prevalence of JCV-DNA in Brazilian patients using natalizumab. Method Qualitative detection of the JCV in the serum was performed with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results In a group of 168 patients with MS who were undergoing treatment with natalizumab, JCV-DNA was detectable in 86 (51.2%) patients. Discussion Data on JCV-DNA in Brazil add to the worldwide assessment of the prevalence of the JCV in MS patients requiring treatment with natalizumab.