Detection of Human Herpes Virus Type 6 and Varicella Zoster Virus in the Urine of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Kerman Province, Iran

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the CNS in which autoimmunity to myelin plays a role in pathogenesis. Infection with common viruses, particularly varicella zoster virus (VZV) and Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) are postulated to contribute to the pathobiology of MS. The aim of this study was to detect of HHV-6 and VZV in the urine samples of patients with MS in the Kerman province, Iran.
In this cross-sectional study, a total of 60 non-repetitive urine samples from patients with MS and 60 urine samples from healthy people without any neurological disease and urinary tract infection were collected. The infection with HHV- 6 and VZV were investigated using multiplex PCR method.
Of the 60 urine samples obtained from MS patients, 23 (13.8%) and 7 (4.2%) were positive for HHV-6 and VZV, respectively. VZV and HHV-6 were not detected simultaneously in any of obtained samples. HHV-6 and VZV were not found in any samples obtained from healthy people.
The prevalence of HHV-6 and VZV viruses in MS patients is high, which may suggest an association between MS and the presence of these viruses in this region.