A comparison of in situ hybridisation, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ-RT-PCR for the detection of canine distemper virus RNA in Paget's disease.

Previous evidence implicating Paramyxoviruses in the aetiopathology of Paget's disease of bone has proved controversial. Whilst several groups have demonstrated Paramyxoviruses using techniques such as in situ hybridisation (ISH), reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and in situ-RT-PCR (IS-RT-PCR), others have found no evidence of viruses using only RT-PCR. To investigate this latter finding, we have now compared detection of canine distemper virus by ISH, RT-PCR (three different methods) and IS-RT-PCR, in 10 patients with Paget's disease, and samples of non-diseased bone from four patients.