Abstract
Exposure to John Cunningham Virus (JCV) has been associated with Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients under specific treatments. In order to assess the identifiable risks of Turkish relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, the seroprevalence rate of JCV antibodies was investigated and compared with demographic and therapy related factors. Serum samples were collected from 308 RRMS patients at 24 centers, and tested by STRATIFY JCV assay for the presence of anti-JCV antibodies. Also, demographic, disease and treatment data were collected at the same time and were used for analysis of associations with seropositivity. The prevalence of anti-JCV antibodies was observed to be 68.2%, which is higher than most countries. There was a trend in terms of higher seroprevalence of antibodies in older patients, and male patients. There was no association with previous natalizumab use, but there was a significantly higher seroprevalence in patients who used immunosuppressant therapies (p<0.05). JCV prevalence rate is observed to be high in Turkish MS patients, therefore it would be beneficial to use this marker as a risk stratification tool in clinical decision making. J. Exp. Clin. Med., 2014; 31: 31-36
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
