It has been difficult to prove the relationship between the human herpesvirus Epstein-Barr and Multiple Sclerosis, which has been suspected for quite some time now. 95% of adults have mononucleosis which is primarily caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.
Infection With Epstein-Barr Virus – The Cause Of Multiple Sclerosis
In Multiple Sclerosis, the central nervous system is demyelinated because of inflammation and it can produce various symptoms like numbness, pain, and even paralysis. Around 2.8 million people are affected by it worldwide. But people who have infectious mononucleosis are at a greater risk of getting Multiple Sclerosis.
A hypothesis has been derived that if a person was never infected by the virus, then he would not develop Multiple Sclerosis. If a study proves this, it would be proved that Multiple Sclerosis and this virus have a connection. The researchers at Harvard University collected blood samples from around 10 million personnel who were on duty in the US military for two decades. Out of this 5% were negative for Epstein-Barr virus and 955 personnel developed Multiple Sclerosis eventually.
The outcomes were compared and it was finally published that there is a 32-fold increase in the risk of getting Multiple Sclerosis if someone has been infected with the Epstein-Barr virus but the same does not happen after infection with other viruses. No other known risk for Multiple Sclerosis can explain these findings.
The results suggest that unless one has been infected by EBV, he won’t develop Multiple Sclerosis. The results are black and white. Virologist Jeffrey I. Cohen still argues that it is important to show that preventing the Epstein-Barr virus will also prevent Multiple Sclerosis. Most people around the world are infected with the Epstein-Barr virus early in life especially in developing countries. There are no apparent problems due to it.
It is mostly contracted in adolescence and young adulthood as it is transmitted via giving saliva known as ‘kissing disease’. It mostly leads to infectious mononucleosis. After infection, people develop immunity against it. A new study was conducted and blood samples were collected from military personnel when they were under the age of 20.
Their third sample was taken many years later before the onset of Multiple Sclerosis and the second was taken in between. To guarantee that there has been an infection, the team looked for the appearance of antibodies in the blood. It was found out that 801 individuals had developed Multiple Sclerosis and out of them only one person remained negative for Epstein-Barr virus.
To make sure that only Epstein virus was the cause, antibodies were also compared against cytomegalovirus but the results were similar among all. Antibody responses to most of the viruses that cause infection in humans were also compared but again there was no difference between people who had developed Multiple Sclerosis and those who had not.
To make sure that Epstein-Barr infection preceded Multiple Sclerosis and not vice versa, the levels of a particular protein were measured that serves as a marker for the beginning of Multiple Sclerosis. The levels of this protein only rose after the person had already been infected by the Epstein-Barr virus.
The reason why this virus causes Multiple Sclerosis is still unknown although many possibilities have been proposed. Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus may be necessary but alone it is still insufficient to cause Multiple Sclerosis. It will help in finding a way to treat and prevent the disease. One of the treatments is antiviral treatment against the virus.
Another one is the successful depletion of B cells that damage the tissues and the myelin sheath that covers the nerves. Over time, this method may be redefined to target just those B cells that are infected by the Epstein-Barr virus.
