Comparison of human endogenous retroviruses expression in multiple sclerosis and epilepsy with healthy individuals

Abstract

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are viral remnants that make up about 8% of the human genome. Although many of them have incomplete genomes or are inactivated due to epigenetic changes, the expression of HERVs can be increased by factors such as inflammation and microbial infections. Studies have shown that HERVs may play a role in the onset of certain neurological diseases. Multiple sclerosis (MS) and epilepsy are among these diseases, in which the role of viruses has been investigated. The aim of this study was to compare the expression of the envelope and polymerase genes of HERV-W in patients with epilepsy and MS with healthy individuals.

Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 35 MS patients, 35 epilepsy patients, and 70 healthy individuals participated. After confirming the disease, 3 ml of peripheral blood was collected from all participants. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated, and then RNA was extracted, and complementary DNA (cDNA) was synthesized. The relative expression of the genes was assessed using the Real-time PCR method.

Results: The expression of the HERV-W envelope gene was higher in MS patients compared to healthy individuals, with a statistically significant difference (p=0.015). However, no significant difference was observed in epilepsy patients. Furthermore, the expression of the HERV-W polymerase gene in both patient groups showed no statistically significant association compared to the control group.