Abstract
BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that is caused by an autoimmune response that results in the neuron’s demyelination in the central nervous system. The exact etiology of MS is not clear; however, several environmental and genetic factors are believed to participate in its initiation and development, including exposure to viruses. This study aims to investigate the association between the seropositivity and antibody titer of selected herpesviruses and MS in Jordanian MS patients.MethodIn this study, 55 MS patients and 40 age- and gender-matching apparently healthy volunteers were recruited from two main hospitals in the north of Jordan. MS patients were grouped into three types of MS based on the clinical presentation of the disease. Blood samples were collected from the participants and the IgG antibodies for human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen (EBNA), EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were assayed by ELISA. The prevalence of seropositivity and the antibody level for each of the antibodies were compared between MS patients and controls and between the three types of MS.ResultsThere was no significant difference in the prevalence of seropositivity and in the levels of antibodies for HHV-6, EBNA and VCA between MS patients and controls and between the three types of MS. In contrast, the number of seropositive patients and the level of IgG antibodies for VZV were significantly higher in MS patients compared to the control.ConclusionThis study showed that patients with MS in the north of Jordan were more likely to be seropositive for VZV than the general population. Based on this finding, we recommend further studies to evaluate the seropositivity to VZV to be carried out in other parts of Jordan and the greater middle east to find out if there is a correlation between MS and previous infection with VZV.
Highlights
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that is caused by an autoimmune response that results in the neuron’s demyelination in the central nervous system
The number of seropositive patients and the level of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies for varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were significantly higher in MS patients compared to the control
This study showed that patients with MS in the north of Jordan were more likely to be seropositive for VZV than the general population
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that is caused by an autoimmune response that results in the neuron’s demyelination in the central nervous system. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most prevalent neurological diseases affecting approximately 2.1 million patients worldwide [1]. It is, widely, believed that MS is caused by an autoimmune response that affects the myelin sheath in the central nervous system, which subsequently results in the demyelination of nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord [2]. The disease may transform into secondary progressive MS (SPMS) over a period of about 20 years in about 70% of RRMS patient. Approximately 10–15% of MS patients experience the primary progressive form of MS (PPMS), which is characterized by an unremitting reduction in neurological functioning that is not preceded by episodic relapses [8]
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