The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is one of the most common human viruses worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), EBV can cause other diseases. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine to prevent EBV infection. Many individuals contract EBV as children with mild to no symptoms. However, some children and adults may experience a variety of symptoms including fatigue, fever, inflammation, swollen lymph nodes, enlarged spleen, rash, and others. EBV is most commonly transmitted through contact with saliva such as kissing and sharing food and drinks. While there is no preventative medication or vaccine, most people get better in 2 to 4 weeks. Patients are recommended to drink plenty of liquids, rest, and take over-the-counter medications to ease flu-like symptoms.
Although EBV is treatable, it can trigger an array of diseases including autoimmune diseases. One major risk factor of multiple sclerosis (MS) includes EBV infection. MS is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Interestingly, every patient with MS carries EBV. It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks and degrades the outer coat of nerve fibers, known as the myelin sheath. The myelin sheath allows quick and responsive signals from the nervous system to the rest of the body. Unfortunately, MS cannot be cured and as symptoms progress, the body becomes weaker as signals from the brain to muscle become disrupted. Therefore, understanding EBV and how it contributes to the establishment of other diseases is a critical area of research. Scientists are currently working to understand the influence EBV has on MS.
A recent paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), by Dr. Tobias Lanz and others, have shed light on the connection between the two diseases. Lanz and others demonstrated that specific antibodies are linked to gene expression which significantly increases MS risk. Lanz is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University. His work focuses on immune cell biology and cell to cell interactions in the brain.
Lanz and his team discovered that antibodies to the EBV protein known as EBNA1 can react with a brain protein, GlialCAM. This interaction between antibodies and specific proteins in the brain significantly increase an individual’s risk for MS. Researchers analyzed blood samples from over 600 MS patients. They compared antibody concentrations in the blood from MS patients to healthy patient samples. Not only were antibodies increased in the MS patients, but there was also an increased genetic risk associated with the onset of the chronic disease. The absence of protective genes with antibodies against brain proteins, such as GlialCAM, promoted MS. However, the different antibody concentrations and the interaction with proteins helps identify key biomarkers that could predict autoimmunity.
For the first time, researchers discovered the gap between EBV and MS. Additionally, this work has the potential to develop better diagnostic tools for MS. Overall, this breakthrough can improve preventative measures that lead to MS and enhance therapeutic treatments.
