Assessment of Epstein-Barr virus in blood from patients with multiple sclerosis

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dc.contributor.authorHon G.M.
dc.contributor.authorHassan M.S.
dc.contributor.authorRensburg S.J.V.
dc.contributor.authorErasmus R.T.
dc.contributor.authorMatsha T.E.
dc.date.accessioned2012-08-17T12:37:05Z
dc.date.available2012-08-17T12:37:05Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractViruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) which can establish latent infections in the central nervous system or the immune system have been associated with chronic neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis. Results vary, therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of EBV using both viral DNA and antibody screening techniques, using PCR and ELISA assays respectively, to evaluate viral presence in blood from control subjects and patients with multiple sclerosis. Viral gene sequences for latent proteins EBNA-1 and LMP-1 and lytic gene BamH1- W were present equally in both patients and controls (<7%). Anti-EBV-VCA IgG positive cases were present in >99% of all study subjects, and anti-EBV-VCA IgG immune status ratio showed a near-significant positive correlation with the EDSS in patients with multiple sclerosis. In contrast, Anti- EBV-VCA IgM positive cases were significantly increased in patients (controls: 23.3%; patients; 41.9%; P00.046). The IgM to IgG immune status ratio was near-significantly higher in patients with relapse episodes in the year preceding blood sampling (P00.058). Results from this and previous studies have shown higher prevalence rates for EBV evaluating anti-EBV IgM positive cases against viral DNA positive cases. Also, IgM, an innate immune response, showed an association with relapse episodes, suggesting viral re-activation as a contributing factor to these relapses. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012.
dc.identifier.citationMetabolic Brain Disease
dc.identifier.citation27
dc.identifier.citation3
dc.identifier.citation311
dc.identifier.citation318
dc.identifier.issn8857490
dc.identifier.other10.1007/s11011-012-9292-z
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/49280
dc.subjectAnti-EBV-VCA IgG
dc.subjectAnti-EBV-VCA IgM
dc.subjectEpstein-Barr virus
dc.subjectKurtzke extended disability status scale
dc.subjectMultiple sclerosis
dc.titleAssessment of Epstein-Barr virus in blood from patients with multiple sclerosis
dc.typeArticle
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