CULTIVATION OF PAPOVA-LIKE VIRUS FROM HUMAN BRAIN WITH PROGRESSIVE MULTIFOCAL LEUCOENCEPHALOPATHY

A papova-like virus has been cultivated Summary from the brain of a case of progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (P.M.L.) complicating Hodgkin's disease. The virus was isolated by inoculation of primary cultures of human fetal glial (P.H.F.G.) cells with extracts made from brain obtained at necropsy. Electron-microscopic examination of sections of brain and of infected P.H.F.G. cultures revealed cells with nuclei containing virions, often in crystalline array, which are similar in size to members of the polyoma-SV40 subgroup of papovaviruses. Similar virions were observed in phosphotungstic acid (P.T.A.) stained extracts of the P.M.L. brain and of infected P.H.F.G. cultures. Initial studies on the cell susceptibility and antigenicity of this virus suggest that it is a new papovavirus.