Epstein–Barr Virus and Multiple Sclerosis

_**MND:**_ The connection  is still murky. There is circumstantial evidence of the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)involvement in MS, as summarized in this study [1]  published in Journal of  Neurology and Neurosurgical Psychiatry.

* Geographic patterns of occurrence of MS and EBV infection
* Strong evidence however that people with MS are more likely to report a past history of infectious mononucleosis
* High levels of Epstein-Barr virus antibodies found in the blood of many MS patients

There is  controversy, because it seems there are conflicting results: Take studies [2] and [3] opposite conclusions: [2] says no EBV in biopsies of MS patients; [3] says EBV found in post-mortem of MS patients…

[![][1]][2]

Your amazing brain.

However, quoting the Center for Disease Control [4]: " EBV…one of the most common human viruses. The virus occurs worldwide, and most people become infected with EBV sometime during their lives…"

Clearly, a matter of degree: MS patients seem to have higher EBV presence. Hardly a smoking gun.

There is a nice discussion on the EBV and MS in the Harvard Focus by Jennifer Fraser  [5]. She points out that direct causality proof is not required for the research on EBV to have merit.

However, beware of the human need to pin blame on something. Auto-immune diseases are very complex, as is cancer.

To be continued…

Talk to your Doctor.

Sources:

[1] [Journal of Neurology and Neurosurgical Psychiatry;][3] "Epstein–Barr virus and multiple sclerosis"

[2] Brain ; Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston ; "[Epstein-Barr virus infection is not a characteristic feature of multiple sclerosis brain."][4]

[3] Journal of Experimental Medicine ; ["Dysregulated Epstein-Barr virus infection in the multiple sclerosis brain"][5]

[4] CDC; "[Epstein-Barr Virus and Infectious Mononucleosis][6]"

[5] [Harvard focus, Jennifer Fraser][7]

Technorati Tags: [brain][8], [EBV][9], [EBV Infection][10], [EBV MS controversy][11], [Epstein–Barr Virus][12], [MND][13], [mononucleosis][14], [multiple sclerosis][15]

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[2]: http://www.medinewsdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Brain_dreamstime_13048033.jpg
[3]: http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2011/08/11/jnnp-2011-300174.short?rss=1
[4]: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19638446
[5]: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17984305
[6]: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/ebv.htm
[7]: http://www.channing.harvard.edu/MS_and_EBV.htm
[8]: http://technorati.com/tag/brain
[9]: http://technorati.com/tag/EBV
[10]: http://technorati.com/tag/EBV+Infection
[11]: http://technorati.com/tag/EBV+MS+controversy
[12]: http://technorati.com/tag/Epstein%E2%80%93Barr+Virus
[13]: http://technorati.com/tag/MND
[14]: http://technorati.com/tag/mononucleosis
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