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Study suggests that MS may be caused by Epstein-Barr virus
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Infection with Epstein-Barr virus may contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis, according to results a recently published study.
In this study, supported by a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Walter Reed Army Insitute of Research and a team of collaborators followed thousands of service men and women who were not infected with EBV at the time of recruitment.
After searching the electronic U.S. Army and Navy Physical Disability Agencies databases they identified 305 individuals who received a possible diagnosis of MS reported between 1992 and 2004 and who had blood specimens collected before the date of their diagnosis.
Two controls for each case were then selected from the serum database and matched by branch of service for sex, date of blood collection, and age at time of blood collection.
The researchers concluded that MS risk is extremely low among individuals not infected with EBV, but increases sharply in the same people following EBV infection.
Ascherio A. Ann Neurol. 2010;67: 159-169