Investigations of a possible measles virus persistence in otosclerosis

Various authors have shown with morphological and biochemical methods that otosclerosis is a measles virus-associated inflammatory disease of the temporal bone. The aim of our study was to elucidate the effect of measles virus infection within the temporal bone on the immune system of the inner ear and to search for measles virus RNA in preosteoblasts grown from otosclerotic tissue. Foot-plates and control tissue were obtained during stapedectomy and perilymph was sampled by glass capillaries. No measles virus RNA was detected in the preosteoblasts. Anti-measles virus IgG could be detected in the perilymph and the band pattern in the perilymph was different compared with the serum band pattern in two cases from ten. These results are in good agreement with the hypothesis that measles virus persistence occurs in otosclerosis. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG,Basel.