Abstract
Previous infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and infectious mononucleosis (IM) are established MS risk factors, and elevated serum titers of anti-EBV nuclear antigen antibodies (anti-EBNA) in healthy adults are strongly correlated with future MS risk. In this prospective study, we sought to investigate the association between EBV neutralizing antibodies and MS risk. Our primary hypothesis was that high levels of neutralizing antibodies would be associated with decreased MS risk. Contrary to what we expected, MS risk tended to be higher in individuals with high titers of neutralizing antibodies compared to those with low titers (RR=2.1, 95% CI:0.9, 4.8). This association was attenuated after adjustment for anti-EBNA1 IgG Ab titers (RR=1.3, 95% CI: 0.5, 3.2). This preliminary finding is limited by the small number of cases and warrants further study in a larger population.
| Translated title of the contribution | Epstein-Barr virus neutralizing antibody levels and risk of multiple sclerosis |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Multiple Sclerosis Journal |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2012 |