MS and EBV relapse together

[frodo]

This article is 4 years old but I found it interesting

Multiple Sclerosis and EBV: Relapsing Together
The activity of the Epstein-Barr virus in the body syncs up to relapses in patients with RRMS.

http://www.healthline.com/health-news/m ... ion-061213

... investigators followed 113 patients with RRMS and 49 healthy control subjects over the course of four years, analyzing their blood in order to track their levels of CD8+ T-cell activity and map it to their MS disease cycles. Of the RRMS patients, 79 were on no disease modifying therapy, 20 were on Interferon Beta 1a, and 14 were on natalizumab, which is sold as Tysabri.

Patients experiencing a relapse of their MS, verified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain, also showed elevated EBV activity as measured by the presence of the CD8+ T-cells.

[SeanReynolds]

Correlation is not necessarily causation.

Could be a general 'slump' in the immune system caused by immune fatigue, where herpesviruses flare up as the immune system exhausts its resources fighting, for instance, renewed activity by CPn attacking the body.

Or in fact the 'henchman' theory of EBV that it facilitates further spread of CPn when it flares up.

http://www.davidwheldon.co.uk/hhv6.html

[frodo]

Correlation is not necessarily causation.

Could be a general 'slump' in the immune system caused by immune fatigue, where herpesviruses flare up as the immune system exhausts its resources fighting, for instance, renewed activity by CPn attacking the body.

Or in fact the 'henchman' theory of EBV that it facilitates further spread of CPn when it flares up.

http://www.davidwheldon.co.uk/hhv6.html

Agreed. Correlation does not mean causation.... but correlation is a good reason to suspect causation.

[lyndacarol]

This article is 4 years old but I found it interesting

Multiple Sclerosis and EBV: Relapsing Together
The activity of the Epstein-Barr virus in the body syncs up to relapses in patients with RRMS.

http://www.healthline.com/health-news/m ... ion-061213

... investigators followed 113 patients with RRMS and 49 healthy control subjects over the course of four years, analyzing their blood in order to track their levels of CD8+ T-cell activity and map it to their MS disease cycles. Of the RRMS patients, 79 were on no disease modifying therapy, 20 were on Interferon Beta 1a, and 14 were on natalizumab, which is sold as Tysabri.

Patients experiencing a relapse of their MS, verified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain, also showed elevated EBV activity as measured by the presence of the CD8+ T-cells.

Also interesting:

The beneficial effects of vitamin D3 on reducing antibody titers against Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis patients. (2015)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=25666504

"The aim of this study was to investigate whether vitamin D3 supplementation in MS patients could influence the immune response against latent EBV infection.… All the patients were seropositive for EBV prior to vitamin D supplementation.… Our findings confirm that antibody titers against EBV in MS patients rise after the onset of the disease and indicate that vitamin D3 supplementation could limit augmentation of these titers in MS patients."

[frodo]

Also interesting:

The beneficial effects of vitamin D3 on reducing antibody titers against Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis patients. (2015)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=25666504

"The aim of this study was to investigate whether vitamin D3 supplementation in MS patients could influence the immune response against latent EBV infection.… All the patients were seropositive for EBV prior to vitamin D supplementation.… Our findings confirm that antibody titers against EBV in MS patients rise after the onset of the disease and indicate that vitamin D3 supplementation could limit augmentation of these titers in MS patients."

Thanks. I didn't know about vitamin D relationship with EBV, but its relationship to MS is now beyond any doubt.

Vitamin D supplementation differentially affects seasonal multiple sclerosis disease activity
Source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 3.761/full

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated the modulation of seasonal MS disease activity through vitamin D supplementation. Given the prominent reduction in the quarterly relapse rate in late winter/early spring, our data indicate a beneficial effect of supplementing MS patients with vitamin D, especially during this period of the year.