Enteroviruses have been suspected to play a part in the pathogenesis of sporadic motor neuron disease (SMND). Intercellular adhesion molecule type-1 (ICAM1) and coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR) act as receptors for a number of enteroviruses. We therefore examined the viral binding domains of ICAM1 and CAR to see if any changes could be found that might predispose to enteroviral infections. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ICAM1 viral binding domain, the adjacent intron and a region implicated in other neurological disorders, as well as the CAR viral binding regions in exons 2-5, were compared in 139 SMND patients and 139 matched controls. The distribution of the polymorphisms was similar in both groups. Therefore, based on linkage disequilibrium and genotype it is unlikely that either ICAM1 or CAR is implicated in SMND.