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       #Post#: 943--------------------------------------------------
       (Abst.) Anti-JC virus seroprevalence in a Finnish MS cohort
   DIR By: agate
       Date: September 24, 2015, 12:22 pm
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       From PubMed NTK Watch, September 24, 2015:
       --- Quote ---
       > Acta Neurol Scand. 2015 Sep 8. doi: 10.1111/ane.12475.
       >
       > Anti-JC virus seroprevalence in a Finnish MS cohort.
       >
       > Kolasa M1, Hagman S1, Verkkoniemi-Ahola A2, Airas L3, Koivisto
       K4, Elovaara I1.
       >
       > Author information
       >
       > 1Neuroimmunology Unit, Medical School, University of Tampere,
       Tampere, Finland.
       > 2Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Helsinki University
       Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
       > 3Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University
       Hospital, Turku, Finland.
       > 4Department of Neurology, Seinäjoki Central Hospital,
       Seinäjoki, Finland.
       >
       > BACKGROUND:
       >
       > The risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)
       caused by the JC virus (JCV) is increased in patients with
       multiple sclerosis receiving biological therapies.
       >
       > OBJECTIVES:
       >
       > To determine the seroprevalence of anti-JCV antibodies in
       Finnish patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and clinically
       isolated syndrome and to assess the clinical risk factors for
       JCV seropositivity.
       >
       > METHODS:
       >
       > The JCV seroprevalence was analyzed in 503 patients using a
       second-generation two-step ELISA. Sixty-seven patients underwent
       longitudinal serological evaluation over 4.5 years.
       >
       > RESULTS:
       >
       > The overall seroprevalence of JCV was 57.4%. The
       seropositivity was higher in men than in women, tended to
       increase with age, and was not affected by different
       immunomodulatory therapies. However, in patients with ongoing
       natalizumab treatment (n = 72), the anti-JCV antibody screening
       index was lower than in patients without such therapy [median
       0.3 (range 0.1-3.1) vs 0.6 (0.1-3.1), respectively, P = 0.01].
       Over 4.5 years, 4/19 (21%) initially seronegative patients
       converted to seropositivity, whereas 4/48 (8.3%) initially
       seropositive patients reverted to seronegativity. Fluctuations
       in serostatus were observed in 3/67 patients.
       >
       > CONCLUSION:
       >
       > The study confirmed a high anti-JCV antibody prevalence in
       patients with MS and its association with age and male gender
       but not with disease-modifying therapies.
       >
       > Our data suggest that therapy with natalizumab may cause a
       decrease in anti-JCV antibody levels, suggesting an
       immunosuppressive effect of natalizumab without an impact on JCV
       seroprevalence. The results of studies performed until now
       confirm the predictive value of anti-JCV antibody measurement in
       the assessment of PML risk; however, changes in serostatus need
       to be considered.
       --- End Quote ---
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