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Epstein–Barr Virus Infection and Multiple Sclerosis: A Review

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Abstract

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection results in a life-long persistence of the virus in the host’s B-lymphocytes and has been associated with numerous cancers including Burkitt’s lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. There is considerable evidence that EBV infection is a strong risk factor for the development of multiple sclerosis. Early age at primary EBV infection is typically asymptomatic, but primary infection during adolescence or adulthood often manifests as infectious mononucleosis, which has been associated with a two- to threefold increased risk of MS. Most importantly, MS risk is extremely low in individuals who are EBV negative, but it increases several folds following EBV infection. Additional evidence supporting a role for EBV in MS pathogenesis includes the observations of elevated antibodies to EBV antigens (especially EBV nuclear antigen-1) prior to the onset of MS, and an increased risk of MS among EBV-positive children. The biological mechanism by which EBV may cause MS is not known, but several possibilities are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ms. Leslie Unger for technical assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Bldg. 2, 3rd Fl, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Alberto Ascherio & Kassandra L. Munger

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Alberto Ascherio

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  1. Alberto Ascherio
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  2. Kassandra L. Munger
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Correspondence to Alberto Ascherio.

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Guarantors of the work: Alberto Ascherio and Kassandra Munger

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Ascherio, A., Munger, K.L. Epstein–Barr Virus Infection and Multiple Sclerosis: A Review. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 5, 271–277 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11481-010-9201-3

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