Nicolson on Mycoplasma and ALS

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J Clin Neurosci. 2002 Sep;9(5):525-9. Related Articles, Links

High frequency of systemic mycoplasmal infections in Gulf War

veterans and civilians with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Nicolson GL, Nasralla MY, Haier J, Pomfret J.

Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of General Surgery,

University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany. gnicolson@...

The presence of systemic mycoplasmal infections in the blood of Gulf

War veterans (n=8) and civilians (n=28) with Amyotrophic Lateral

Sclerosis (ALS) and age matched controls (n=70) was investigated by

detecting mycoplasma gene sequences with forensic Polymerase Chain

Reaction (PCR) and back hybridization with a radiolabeled internal

oligonucleotide probe.

Almost all ALS patients (30/36 or approximately 83%) showed evidence

of Mycoplasma species in blood samples, whereas <9% of controls had

blood mycoplasmal infections (P<0.001). Using PCR ALS patients with

a positive test for any mycoplasmal infection were investigated for

the presence of M. fermentans, M. pneumoniae, M. hominis and M.

penetrans in their blood.

All Gulf War veterans with ALS were positive for M. fermentans,

except one that was positive for M. genitalium. In contrast, the

22/28 civilians with detectable mycoplasmal infections had M.

fermentans (13/22, 59%) as well as other Mycoplasama species in

their blood, and two of the civilian ALS patients had multiple

mycoplasma species (M. fermentans plus M. hominis). Of the few

control patients that were positive, only two patients (2/70, 2.8%)

were positive for M. fermentans (P<0.001).

The results support the suggestion that infectious agents may play a

role in the pathogenesis and/or progression of ALS, or alternatively

ALS patients are extremely susceptible to systemic mycoplasmal

infections.

Publication Types:

Clinical Trial

PMID: 12383408 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]