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Complete Epstein-Barr virus seropositivity in a large cohort of patients with early multiple sclerosis

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Item Type:Article
Title:Complete Epstein-Barr virus seropositivity in a large cohort of patients with early multiple sclerosis
Creators Name:Abrahamyan, S., Eberspächer, B., Hoshi, M.M., Aly, L., Luessi, F., Groppa, S., Klotz, L., Meuth, S.G., Schroeder, C., Grüter, T., Tackenberg, B., Paul, F., Then-Bergh, F., Kümpfel, T., Weber, F., Stangel, M., Bayas, A., Wildemann, B., Heesen, C., Zettl, U., Warnke, C., Antony, G., Hessler, N., Wiendl, H., Bittner, S., Hemmer, B., Gold, R., Salmen, A. and Ruprecht, K.
Abstract:OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in a large cohort of patients with early multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: Serum samples were collected from 901 patients with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) participating in the German National MS cohort, a prospective cohort of patients with early MS with stringent inclusion criteria. Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA)-1 and viral capsid antigen (VCA) antibodies were measured in diluted sera by chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIAs). Sera of EBNA-1 and VCA antibody-negative patients were retested undiluted by an EBV IgG immunoblot. For comparison, we retrospectively analysed the EBV seroprevalence across different age cohorts, ranging from 0 to >80 years, in a large hospital population (N=16 163) from Berlin/Northern Germany. RESULTS: EBNA-1 antibodies were detected by CLIA in 839 of 901 patients with CIS/RRMS. Of the 62 patients without EBNA-1 antibodies, 45 had antibodies to VCA as detected by CLIA. In all of the remaining 17 patients, antibodies to EBV were detected by immunoblot. Altogether, 901 of 901 (100%) patients with CIS/RRMS were EBV-seropositive. EBV seropositivity increased with age in the hospital population but did not reach 100% in any of the investigated age cohorts. CONCLUSION: The complete EBV seropositivity in this large cohort of patients with early MS strengthens the evidence for a role of EBV in MS. It also suggests that a negative EBV serology in patients with suspected inflammatory central nervous system disease should alert clinicians to consider diagnoses other than MS.
Keywords:Germany, Human Herpesvirus 4, Multiple Sclerosis, Registries, Retrospective Studies, Seroepidemiologic Studies, Viral Antibodies
Source:Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry
ISSN:0022-3050
Publisher:BMJ Publishing Group
Volume:91
Number:7
Page Range:681-686
Date:July 2020
Official Publication:https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2020-322941
PubMed:View item in PubMed

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