Infectious Mononucleosis and MS

[MS TOO]

A recent peer reviewed study, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...?resultClick=1, has linked having mononucleosis as a teenager with an increased risk of MS later in life. I had a bad case of mono my senior year in high school, I failed one class, and nearly did not graduate. I had to get a medical exemption from the school district to graduate with my class in 1980. 19 years later I had my first MS attack, went into remission for 7 years and then had a flare and lesions leading to an official diagnosis in 2007.

Anyone else have MS as a teenager that now has MS?

[pennstater]

I had MS at 19, sophomore year in college. My roomate and boyfriend at the time, also had it. 2 of my 3 siblings also had mono in high school. Fortunately, I am the only one who developed MS. They have theorized for a long time some association between mono and MS, just not a causal relationship.

[4boysmom]

I had it as a junior in high school. My personal theory is that everyone carries the virus that causes mono (Epstein-Barr virus EBV), but those of us who are exposed to it, and have it develop into the disease mono, have something in our genetic makeup that also causes us to develop MS. I have family members with ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes which are all on the same gene as MS, I believe. We all have auto-immune diseases, but they manifest in different ways!

[Jules A]

I've always thought that there is the genetic predisposition and then it is likely spurred by the addition of a trigger. It seems there are many diseases like that. The research on cannabis use and psychotic disorders comes to mind.