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Higher EBV response is associated with more severe gray matter and lesion pathology in relapsing multiple sclerosis

Dejan Jakimovski1, Murali Ramanathan2, Bianca Weinstock-Guttman3

  • 1Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.

Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|February 14, 2019
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) activity. Higher EBV antibody levels correlate with brain tissue damage in relapsing-remitting MS patients, indicating a potential role in disease progression.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimmunology
  • Virology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with increased clinical activity and risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).
  • Understanding the link between EBV and MS pathology is crucial for disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific humoral response and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) measures in MS patients and healthy controls (HCs).
  • To explore how EBV antibody levels relate to brain tissue integrity in different MS subtypes.

Main Methods:

  • 101 MS patients (69 RRMS, 32 SPMS) and 41 HCs underwent clinical, serological, and MRI assessments.
  • MTR values were quantified for lesion volume (LV), normal-appearing gray matter (NAGM), and white matter (NAWM).
  • EBV antibody levels were measured using ELISA, and partial correlations were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • MS patients exhibited significantly higher anti-EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) titers compared to HCs.
  • In MS patients, higher anti-EBNA-1 titers correlated with lower T1-LV MTR.
  • Within the RRMS subgroup, elevated anti-EBNA-1 titers were associated with reduced T1-LV MTR and NAGM MTR.

Conclusions:

  • A stronger EBV humoral response is linked to decreased gray matter MTR and focal destructive lesions in relapsing-remitting MS.
  • These findings suggest a specific association between EBV activity and tissue damage in RRMS, not observed in SPMS or HCs.
Keywords:
EBNA-1EBVMTRdemyelination

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