Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1970 Sep;6(3):370–379. doi: 10.1128/jvi.6.3.370-379.1970

Electron Microscopic Observations in Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis Brain Cell Cultures: Their Correlation with Cytochemical and Immunocytological Findings

Shinsaku Oyanagi 1,2, Volker ter Meulen 1,2, Dieter Müller 1,2, Michael Katz 1,2, Hilary Koprowski 1,2
PMCID: PMC376132  PMID: 4098123

Abstract

Three cell cultures established from brain tissue obtained by biopsy of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) were studied with the electron microscope in an attempt to correlate ultrastructural changes with those found by cytochemistry and immunocytology. These cells contained a large number of nucleocapsids resembling those of a paramyxovirus concentrated in the nuclear inclusions, but also seen free in the nucleus and occasionally in the cytoplasmic inclusions. Nuclear bodies associated with the nucleocapsids and granular filaments occupied a vast area of the cytoplasm. The nuclear inclusions containing nucleocapsids corresponded to the eosinophilic and fluorescent nuclear inclusions. The areas occupied by granular filaments corresponded to the diffuse cytoplasmic fluorescence. The ultrastructural changes were similar to those seen in the original brain biopsies. In addition papova-like virions were noted in brain cell cultures derived from a biopsy but not in the brain tissue itself. Their relationship to SSPE remains undetermined.

Full text

PDF
379

Images in this article

372Image
on p.372
372Image
on p.372
373Image
on p.373
373Image
on p.373
374Image
on p.374
374Image
on p.374
375Image
on p.375
376Image
on p.376
377Image
on p.377
377Image
on p.377
377Image
on p.377

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barbanti-Brodano G., Oyanagi S., Katz M., Koprowski H. Presence of 2 different viral agents in brain cells of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1970 May;134(1):230–236. doi: 10.3181/00379727-134-34765. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chen T. T., Watanabe I., Zeman W., Mealey J., Jr Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: propagation of measles virus from brain biopsy in tissue culture. Science. 1969 Mar 14;163(3872):1193–1194. doi: 10.1126/science.163.3872.1193. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Connolly J. H., Allen I. V., Hurwitz L. J., Millar J. H. Measles-virus antibody and antigen in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Lancet. 1967 Mar 11;1(7489):542–544. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(67)92117-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dawson J. R. Cellular Inclusions in Cerebral Lesions of Lethargic Encephalitis. Am J Pathol. 1933 Jan;9(1):7–16.3. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Horta-Barbosa L., Fuccillo D. A., London W. T., Jabbour J. T., Zeman W., Sever J. L. Isolation of measles virus from brain cell cultures of two patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1969 Oct;132(1):272–277. doi: 10.3181/00379727-132-34196. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Horta-Barbosa L., Fuccillo D. A., Sever J. L., Zeman W. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: isolation of measles virus from a brain biopsy. Nature. 1969 Mar 8;221(5184):974–974. doi: 10.1038/221974a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Katz M., Oyanagi S., Koprowski H. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: structures resembling myxovirus nucleocapsids in cells cultured from brain. Nature. 1969 May 31;222(5196):888–890. doi: 10.1038/222888a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Koprowski H., Barbanti-Brodano G., Katz M. Interaction between papova-like virus and paramyxovirus in human brain cells: a hypothesis. Nature. 1970 Mar 14;225(5237):1045–1047. doi: 10.1038/2251045a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Nakai T., Shand F. L., Howatson A. F. Development of measles virus in vitro. Virology. 1969 May;38(1):50–67. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(69)90127-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Payne F. E., Baublis J. V., Itabashi H. H. Isolation of measles virus from cell cultures of brain from a patient with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. N Engl J Med. 1969 Sep 11;281(11):585–589. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196909112811103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Zu Rhein G. M., Chou S. M. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Ultrastructural study of a brain biopsy. Neurology. 1968 Jan;18(1 Pt 2):146–160. doi: 10.1212/wnl.18.1_part_2.146. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. ter Meulen V., Müller D., Katz M., Käckell M. Y., Joppich G. Immunohistological, microscical and neurochemical studies on encephalitides. IV. Subacute sclerosing (progressive) panencephalitis. Histochemical and immunohistological findings in tissue cultures derived from SSPE brain biopsies. Acta Neuropathol. 1970;15(1):1–10. doi: 10.1007/BF00690684. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. ter Muelen V., Enders-Ruckle G., Müller D., Joppich G. Immunhistological, microscopical and neurochemical studies on encephalitides. 3. Subacute progressive panencephalitis. Virological and immunhistological studies. Acta Neuropathol. 1969;12(3):244–259. doi: 10.1007/BF00687648. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Virology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES