Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
05:53
Use of In vivo Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Experimental Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates
Published on: July 6, 2013
Cytomegalovirus seropositivity is negatively associated with multiple sclerosis
E Sundqvist1, T Bergström, H Daialhosein
1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Sweden.
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|September 4, 2013
Summary
Past cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection appears to reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults. This finding aligns with previous research on pediatric MS cases, suggesting a potential protective role for CMV.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Viral Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Epidemiological studies suggest viral infections contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis.
- Prior research indicated a negative association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and pediatric MS risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between CMV infection and MS risk in an adult population.
- To validate findings through a meta-analysis.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study (Epidemiological Investigation in MS - EIMS) included 658 MS cases and 786 controls.
- CMV seropositivity was assessed using ELISA.
- HLA genotyping was performed using SSP-PCR.
Main Results:
- CMV seropositivity was linked to a reduced risk of MS (OR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.58-0.92).
- This protective effect remained significant after adjusting for various factors including age, gender, and HLA type.
- The association was also observed in analyses excluding individuals under 18 years at the study's index date.
Conclusions:
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) shows a negative association with adult-onset MS.
- This finding is consistent with observations in pediatric MS cases.
- Further research is needed to confirm if CMV infection confers a true protective effect against MS development.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Cytomegalovirus Disease
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
01:19Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...