Abstract
Encephalitis lethargica (EL) was a mysterious epidemic, temporally associated with the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. Numerous symptoms characterized this disease, including headache, diplopia, fever, fatal coma, delirium, oculogyric crisis, lethargy, catatonia, and psychiatric symptoms. Many patients who initially recovered subsequently developed profound, chronic parkinsonism. The etiologic association of influenza with EL is controversial. Five acute EL autopsies and more than 70 postencephalitic parkinsonian autopsies were available in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) tissue repository. Two of these 5 acute EL cases had histopathologic changes consistent with that diagnosis. The remaining 3 cases were classified as possible acute EL cases as the autopsy material was insufficient for detailed histopathologic examination. RNA lysates were prepared from 29 CNS autopsy tissue blocks from the 5 acute cases and 9 lysates from blocks containing substantia nigra from 2 postencephalitic cases. RNA recovery was assessed by amplification of beta-2-microglobulin mRNA and 65% of the tissue blocks contained amplifiable RNA. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for influenza matrix and nucleoprotein genes was negative in all cases. Thus, it is unlikely that the 1918 influenza virus was neurotropic and directly responsible for the outbreak of EL.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 696-704 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| State | Published - 2001 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Encephalitis lethargica
- Influenza
- Postencephalitic parkinsonism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Neuroscience(all)
Cite this
Influenza RNA not detected in archival brain tissues from acute encephalitis lethargica cases or in postencephalitic parkinson cases. / Mccall, Sherman; Henry, James M; Reid, Ann H.; Taubenberger, Jeffery K.
In: Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, Vol. 60, No. 7, 2001, p. 696-704.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Influenza RNA not detected in archival brain tissues from acute encephalitis lethargica cases or in postencephalitic parkinson cases
AU - Mccall, Sherman
AU - Henry, James M
AU - Reid, Ann H.
AU - Taubenberger, Jeffery K.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Encephalitis lethargica (EL) was a mysterious epidemic, temporally associated with the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. Numerous symptoms characterized this disease, including headache, diplopia, fever, fatal coma, delirium, oculogyric crisis, lethargy, catatonia, and psychiatric symptoms. Many patients who initially recovered subsequently developed profound, chronic parkinsonism. The etiologic association of influenza with EL is controversial. Five acute EL autopsies and more than 70 postencephalitic parkinsonian autopsies were available in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) tissue repository. Two of these 5 acute EL cases had histopathologic changes consistent with that diagnosis. The remaining 3 cases were classified as possible acute EL cases as the autopsy material was insufficient for detailed histopathologic examination. RNA lysates were prepared from 29 CNS autopsy tissue blocks from the 5 acute cases and 9 lysates from blocks containing substantia nigra from 2 postencephalitic cases. RNA recovery was assessed by amplification of beta-2-microglobulin mRNA and 65% of the tissue blocks contained amplifiable RNA. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for influenza matrix and nucleoprotein genes was negative in all cases. Thus, it is unlikely that the 1918 influenza virus was neurotropic and directly responsible for the outbreak of EL.
AB - Encephalitis lethargica (EL) was a mysterious epidemic, temporally associated with the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. Numerous symptoms characterized this disease, including headache, diplopia, fever, fatal coma, delirium, oculogyric crisis, lethargy, catatonia, and psychiatric symptoms. Many patients who initially recovered subsequently developed profound, chronic parkinsonism. The etiologic association of influenza with EL is controversial. Five acute EL autopsies and more than 70 postencephalitic parkinsonian autopsies were available in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) tissue repository. Two of these 5 acute EL cases had histopathologic changes consistent with that diagnosis. The remaining 3 cases were classified as possible acute EL cases as the autopsy material was insufficient for detailed histopathologic examination. RNA lysates were prepared from 29 CNS autopsy tissue blocks from the 5 acute cases and 9 lysates from blocks containing substantia nigra from 2 postencephalitic cases. RNA recovery was assessed by amplification of beta-2-microglobulin mRNA and 65% of the tissue blocks contained amplifiable RNA. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for influenza matrix and nucleoprotein genes was negative in all cases. Thus, it is unlikely that the 1918 influenza virus was neurotropic and directly responsible for the outbreak of EL.
KW - Encephalitis lethargica
KW - Influenza
KW - Postencephalitic parkinsonism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034943948&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0034943948&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 11444798
AN - SCOPUS:0034943948
VL - 60
SP - 696
EP - 704
JO - American Journal of Psychotherapy
JF - American Journal of Psychotherapy
SN - 0002-9564
IS - 7
ER -