Infection 2001 Dec;29(6):315-9
Brorson O, Brorson SH, Henriksen
TH, Skogen PR, Schoyen R.
Dept. of Microbiology, Vestfold
Sentralsykehus, Tonsberg, Norway.
BACKGROUND:
The aim of the study was to search
for infectious agents in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with
multiple sclerosis (MS).
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
CSF from ten patients with the diagnosis
relapsing remitting MS and from five controls without MS were examined
by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dark field microscopy (DF),
interference contrast microscopy (ICM) and UV-microscopic examination of
acridine orange staining (AO). All CSF samples from patients and controls
were cultured.
RESULTS:
Cystic structures were observed in
CSF of all ten patients by AO and TEM. DF revealed eight cyst-positive
patients out of nine. One of five control persons had such structures in
the CSF; this person had suffered from erythema migrans. Spirochete or
rod-like structures emerged after culturing two of the MS patient CSF samples
and these structures could be propagated.
CONCLUSION:
A significant association of CSF
cysts and MS was identified in this small study among residents in a coastal
area of southern Norway. The cysts could be of spirochetal origin. Our
study may encourage other researchers to study larger patient groups.