Abstract Title:

The essential role of epstein-barr virus in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Source:

Neuroscientist. 2010 Nov 12. Epub 2010 Nov 12. PMID: 21075971

Abstract Author(s):

Michael P Pender

Article Affiliation:

School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, and Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Abstract:

There is increasing evidence that infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) plays a role in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS. This article provides a four-tier hypothesis proposing (1) EBV infection is essential for the development of MS; (2) EBV causes MS in genetically susceptible individuals by infecting autoreactive B cells, which seed the CNS where they produce pathogenic autoantibodies and provide costimulatory survival signals to autoreactive T cells that would otherwise die in the CNS by apoptosis; (3) the susceptibility to develop MS after EBV infection is dependent on a genetically determined quantitative deficiency of the cytotoxic CD8+ T cells that normally keep EBV infection under tight control; and (4) sunlight and vitamin D protect against MS by increasing the number of CD8+ T cells available to control EBV infection. The hypothesis makes predictions that can be tested, including the prevention and successful treatment of MS by controlling EBV infection.

Study Type : Review

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