Genetic Variations Behind the Link Between EBV and MS

Research from Medical University of Vienna sheds light on why Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection leads to multiple sclerosis (MS) in some people but not others. Their study was titled “Ineffective Immune Control of Epstein-Barr Virus-Induced Autoreactive Responses is an Important Cause of Multiple Sclerosis.”

EBV, the causative agent behind mononucleosis, contains a protein that is similar to one found in the human brain. While the researchers found that the immune response shortly after infection targets both the protein found in the virus and the brain, they also noticed that people who developed MS had reduced levels of regulatory immune cells. These cells help eliminate immune cells that target the brain protein before they can cause autoimmunity.

The reason behind the reduced levels of these regulatory immune cells may be explained by genetics. People with lower levels of these cells had variations in immune-related genes. Variations in the EBV genome itself also affect the immune response with some strains correlating to reduced activity of these immune regulatory cells.

The scientists calculated that patients with genetic predispositions who were infected with one of these strains were 260 times more likely to develop MS compared to those without genetic predispositions infected with other EBV strains.

Citation:

Vietzen, H., et al. (2023). Ineffective control of Epstein-Barr-virus-induced autoimmunity increases the risk for multiple sclerosis. Cell, 186(26), 5705–5718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.015