Epstein-Barr virus and disease activity in multiple sclerosis
- PMID: 16170080
- PMCID: PMC1739347
- DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.2004.048504
Epstein-Barr virus and disease activity in multiple sclerosis
Abstract
Objectives: To study in relapsing-remitting (RR) multiple sclerosis (MS) whether exacerbations and brain activity as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are associated with plasma levels of anti-Epstein Barr (EBV) antibodies and EBV DNA.
Methods: This was a prospective study with 73 RR MS patients followed for an average of 1.7 years with frequent neurological examination and blood sampling. Antibodies to various EBV proteins were measured by ELISA and plasma EBV DNA was measured by PCR.
Results: All MS patients had IgG antibodies to EBV (viral capsid antigen (VCA) and/or EBV nuclear antigen (EBNA)), irrespective whether samples were taken at stable disease or exacerbation. A significantly elevated percentage of the patients (48%) had antibodies against EBV antigens (early antigen, EA) that indicate active viral replication, compared with the age matched healthy controls (25%). Antibodies against a control herpesvirus, cytomegalovirus, were similar between the two groups. The percentage of EA positive individuals and EA titres did not differ between stable disease or exacerbation. Anti-VCA IgM was positive in three cases, unrelated to disease activity. Using a highly sensitive PCR on 51 samples taken at exacerbation visits, only three patients were found to have one timepoint with viraemia, and this viraemia was unrelated to disease activity. Of special note was the fact that anti-EA seropositive patients remained seropositive during follow up, with stable titres over time. We hypothesised that these patients may constitute a subgroup with higher disease activity, due to the triggering effect of a chronic attempt of the virus to reactivate. The EA positive group did not differ from the EA negative with respect to clinical disease activity or other characteristics. However, in the EA positive group, analysis with gadolinium enhanced MRI indicated more MRI disease activity.
Conclusions: There was no evidence for increased clinical disease activity in the subgroup of MS patients with serological signs of EBV reactivation. However, the observation that chronic EBV reactivation may be associated with increased inflammatory activity as assessed by gadolinium enhanced MRI lesions should be reproduced in a larger and independent dataset.
Similar articles
-
Evaluating the Clinical Utility of Epstein-Barr Virus Antibodies as Biomarkers in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review.Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2024 Apr;84:105410. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2023.105410. Epub 2023 Dec 30. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2024. PMID: 38401201 Review.
-
Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus and MRI disease activity in multiple sclerosis.Mult Scler. 2014 Dec;20(14):1833-40. doi: 10.1177/1352458514533843. Epub 2014 May 19. Mult Scler. 2014. PMID: 24842958
-
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the sero-epidemiological association between Epstein Barr virus and multiple sclerosis.PLoS One. 2013 Apr 9;8(4):e61110. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061110. Print 2013. PLoS One. 2013. PMID: 23585874 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Humoral immune response to EBV in multiple sclerosis is associated with disease activity on MRI.Neurology. 2009 Jul 7;73(1):32-8. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181aa29fe. Epub 2009 May 20. Neurology. 2009. PMID: 19458321 Free PMC article.
-
Epstein-Barr virus antibodies and risk of multiple sclerosis: a prospective study.JAMA. 2001 Dec 26;286(24):3083-8. doi: 10.1001/jama.286.24.3083. JAMA. 2001. PMID: 11754673
Cited by
-
Expanded T lymphocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis patients are specific for Epstein-Barr-virus-infected B cells.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Jan 16;121(3):e2315857121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2315857121. Epub 2024 Jan 8. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024. PMID: 38190525 Free PMC article.
-
Association of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERV) with Multiple Sclerosis in Northwest of Iran.Int J Inflam. 2023 Nov 30;2023:8175628. doi: 10.1155/2023/8175628. eCollection 2023. Int J Inflam. 2023. PMID: 38074281 Free PMC article.
-
Teriflunomide and Epstein-Barr virus in a Spanish multiple sclerosis cohort: in vivo antiviral activity and clinical response.Front Immunol. 2023 Sep 29;14:1248182. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1248182. eCollection 2023. Front Immunol. 2023. PMID: 37841253 Free PMC article.
-
Environmental Influences on Risk and Disease Course in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis.Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2023 Jul;46:101049. doi: 10.1016/j.spen.2023.101049. Epub 2023 Apr 25. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2023. PMID: 37451747 Free PMC article.
-
CD4+ Cytotoxic T Cells Involved in the Development of EBV-Associated Diseases.Pathogens. 2022 Jul 25;11(8):831. doi: 10.3390/pathogens11080831. Pathogens. 2022. PMID: 35894054 Free PMC article. Review.
References
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical