ArticleMultiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)2012
Human endogenous retrovirus type W envelope expression in blood and brain cells provides new insights into multiple sclerosis disease.
Article in Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England), 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01767701 (A Phase II Baseline Versus Treatment Study to Determine the Efficacy of Raltegravir), which is not on this map. Cited by 114 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Phase II Baseline Versus Treatment Study to Determine the Efficacy of Raltegravir (Isentress) in Preventing Progression of Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis as Determined by Gadolinium-enhanced MRI
Who cites it
114 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 193 citations in OpenAlex.
- Close to the Bedside: A Systematic Review of Endogenous Retroviruses and Their Impact in Oncology.The Journal of surgical research · 2019Pooled it
- The association between human endogenous retroviruses and multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2017Pooled it
- Trial
- Multiple Sclerosis and Viruses: « Liaisons Dangereuses ».Reviews in medical virology · 2026Review
- Human endogenous retroviruses antibody signatures in severe asthma phenotypes.Immunologic research · 2026Article
- The therapeutic potential of transposable element activity modulation.EMBO molecular medicine · 2026Review
- Transposable Elements Are Dynamically Regulated in Medium Spiny Neurons and May Contribute to the Molecular and Behavioral Adaptations to Cocaine.Biological psychiatry · 2026Article
- Plasma exosomal HERV-K transcripts are increased in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.BMC neuroscience · 2026Article
- Dynamics of Human Endogenous Retroviruses Expression, Proviral Load and Systemic Inflammatory Status Modulated by Physical Exercise and Aging.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Analysis of the profiles of human endogenous retroviruses W, K, and H and the systemic inflammatory status in vitiligo patients: insights on the dynamics of endogenous retroviral expression and its interplay with inflammatory response.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
- HERV-W association with serum biomarkers NfL and GFAP in multiple sclerosis.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Endogenous retroviruses in aging and cancer: from genomic defense to oncogenic activation.Mobile DNA · 2025Review
- The relationship between HERVs and exogenous viral infections: A focus on the value of HERVs in disease prediction and treatment.Virulence · 2025Review
- Human Endogenous Retroviruses and Diseases.MedComm · 2025Review
- Exosomal pHERV-W ENV as a dynamic biomarker for relapse prediction and prognosis in multiple sclerosis.Journal of neuroinflammation · 2025Article
- Anti-Human Endogenous Retrovirus and Anti-Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Humoral Response in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Case Control Study.Microbiology and immunology · 2025Article
- The case for targeting latent and lytic Epstein-Barr virus infection in multiple sclerosis.Brain : a journal of neurology · 2025Review
- Ancient viral DNA in the human genome linked to neurodegenerative diseases.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2025Article
- Review
- HERV-W upregulation expression in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: unraveling potential links to systemic immune/inflammation status.Retrovirology · 2024Article
54 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
31 authors at 14 institutions in 6 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe envelope protein from multiple sclerosis (MS) associated retroviral element (MSRV), a member of the Human Endogenous Retroviral family 'W' (HERV-W), induces dysimmunity and inflammation.
objectiveThe objective of this study was to confirm and specify the association between HERV-W/MSRV envelope (Env) expression and MS.
methods103 MS, 199 healthy controls (HC) and controls with other neurological diseases (28), chronic infections (30) or autoimmunity (30) were analysed with an immunoassay detecting Env in serum. Env RNA or DNA copy numbers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were determined by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Env was detected by immunohistology in the brains of patients with MS with three specific monoclonals.
resultsEnv antigen was detected in a serum of 73% of patients with MS with similar prevalence in all clinical forms, and not in chronic infection, systemic lupus, most other neurological diseases and healthy donors (p<0.01). Cases with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (5/8) and rare HC (4/103) were positive. RNA expression in PBMC and DNA copy numbers were significantly elevated in patients with MS versus HC (p<0.001). In patients with MS, DNA copy numbers were significantly increased in chronic progressive MS (secondary progressive MS vs relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) p<0.001; primary progressive MS vs RRMS -<0.02). Env protein was evidenced in macrophages within MS brain lesions with particular concentrations around vascular elements.
conclusionThe association between MS disease and the MSRV-type HERV-W element now appears quite strong, as evidenced ex-vivo from serum and PBMC with post-mortem confirmation in brain lesions. Chronic progressive MS, RRMS and clinically isolated syndrome show different ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and/or PCR profiles suggestive of an increase with disease evolution, and amplicon sequencing confirms the association with particular HERV-W elements.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.