Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)

[sing_a_long]

Hi all,

This post is just for people's info in case there are interested -

A 20 year longitudinal study involving more than 10 million adults on active duty in the US military has shown there is a 32 fold increase of MS after infection with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV).

This was published in the journal 'Science' yesterday.

Even though EBV as a trigger has been speculated for many years, the researchers said a major stumbling block is that it can be hard to find people before they get infected and track them over time to see if they develop MS, and to compare their risk to people who don’t catch the virus. This new study has done exactly that.

[KoKo]

Thanks for sharing this info with us, sing a long.

A similar article from Scientific American journal:

Epstein-Barr Virus Found to Trigger Multiple Sclerosis - Scientific American

[pennstater]

I know I qualify, mono at 19.

[Jules A]

I haven't ever had EBV but did have a lot of strep due to tonsillitis which could possibly trigger weird autoimmune things?

[sing_a_long]

Hi JulesA,

Were you ever tested for EBV?

I once got blood test results which showed that I had PREVIOUSLY had glandular fever / infectious mononucleosis/ EBV (even though it was "asymptomatic" and I didn't realise until after I got the test results)

[Jules A]

Hi JulesA,

Were you ever tested for EBV?

I once got blood test results which showed that I had PREVIOUSLY had glandular fever / infectious mononucleosis/ EBV (even though it was "asymptomatic" and I didn't realise until after I got the test results)

Hmmm no I haven't. Interesting, I will ask my neuro if any benefit. Thanks!

[hobbit]

I don't have EBV antibodies and no family history of MS. I've had MS for 28 yrs. My son has had Mono and has a genetic factor, I anticipate a difficult conversation.

[Seasha]

I don't have EBV antibodies and no family history of MS. I've had MS for 28 yrs. My son has had Mono and has a genetic factor, I anticipate a difficult conversation.

Hi hobbit - I did have mono at age18, but also with no family history of MS. Going on 33 years for me. My daughter also had mono and I worry about her. She's 40 and about the same age I was when I had my 1st symptom.Unlike you, I'm certainly not bringing up the subject of genetic factors unless necessary.

IDK - I hope that maybe I'm just an anomaly.

[hobbit]

I was diagnosed in 1993 when I was 30. I have no family history of MS and I have four sisters, I am the only one with MS. My kids are in their 30's. I believe he would rather know because science has changed the game.

[Seasha]

I understand your reasoning, hobbit and respect that for sure! My daughter has a extreme high levels of anxiety already, thus my reasoning not to bring up the genetic factor for now. Let us know how "the talk" goes with you and your son.

Take care!

[pennstater]

I believe he would rather know because science has changed the game.

That is so true. The quicker the diagnosis and the quicker on the more effective DMTs, the more promising the outlook. My nephew (34) is being monitored. I had that conversation with both my sister and him.

[Mamabug]

I was diagnosed in 1993 when I was 30. I have no family history of MS and I have four sisters, I am the only one with MS. My kids are in their 30's. I believe he would rather know because science has changed the game.

Yeah. It is usually preferable to know what we could be facing. Healthy diets and regular moderate exercise can be ways to delay or ward off potential chronic illness. My functional medicine doctor would recommend a gluten free, dairy free, mostly sugar free diet for eveyone.

[Marco]

Study identifies how Epstein-Barr virus triggers multiple sclerosis.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-...sclerosis.html

[KoKo]

The article is really very interesting!

Thanks Marco!

[Kimba22]

The article is really very interesting!

Thanks Marco!

Ditto, Marco!

In fact, more than 99 percent of MS patients have EBV antibodies in their blood, indicating a prior infection, compared with 94 percent of healthy individuals

I've never had mono, at least that I've known of. But makes me wonder now if I was just asymptomatic?

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this discovery is its potential to create new pathways for the clinical treatment of multiple sclerosis. "If a virus is the target of the immune response that's going an unwanted way in the MS brain, why not get rid of the virus?" Steinman said, noting that a vaccine against Epstein-Barr virus could perhaps eventually eradicate MS, in the same way polio was eradicated from the United States in the 1970s.

But this research also demonstrates why manufacturers would need to be extra careful in selecting which antigens to incorporate into an EBV vaccine. "You don't want to choose those antigens, like EBNA1, that could cause autoimmunity," Lanz said.

In addition, an EBV vaccine wouldn't necessarily help patients who have already developed EBNA1/GlialCAM cross-reactivity. For those patients, a better option might be to "tolerize" the immune system so it no longer responds to GlialCAM, Steinman said. "There are two promising technologies here, one involving a reverse vaccine using DNA plasmids and another using RNA technology from the same company in Germany that made the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19."