Epstein-Barr Virus and Multiple Sclerosis: A Convoluted Interaction and the Opportunity to Unravel Predictive Biomarkers.

ABSTRACT: Since the early 1980s, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection has been described as one of the main risk factors for developing multiple sclerosis (MS), and recently, new epidemiological evidence has reinforced this premise. EBV seroconversion precedes almost 99% of the new cases of MS and likely predates the first clinical symptoms. The molecular mechanisms of this association are complex and may involve different immunological routes, perhaps all running in parallel (i.e., molecular mimicry, the bystander damage theory, abnormal cytokine networks, and coinfection of EBV with retroviruses, among others). However, despite the large amount of evidence available on these topics, the ultimate role of EBV in the pathogenesis of MS is not fully understood. For instance, it is unclear why after EBV

SUBMITTER: Ortega-Hernandez OD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10138841 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature