The Relationship between Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) and Endogenous Retroviruses with Multiple Sclerosis Disease

Abstract

Multiple Sclerosis is a common problem of health care systems and is a common cause of disability in societies. Nowadays, the role of viruses in the development of MS has attracted the attention of researchers. The aim of present study was to evaluate the relationship between Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) and human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) with MS disease. Methods & Materials: In a cross sectional study, 65 patients with MS who referred to Imam-Reza & Razi Educational Hospital of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences were included in the study. Also, 65 healthy volunteers were included as the control group. Two peripheral blood samples (each sample, 5 cc) were obtained from both groups. After the DNA extraction from all samples, the EBER region of the EBV genome was used as the primer for the detection of EBV in all samples by PCR. DNA extracts from B-95 cells, and sterile distilled water were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. HERV was also evaluated by RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis and then using PCR. Results: Among MS patients, 4 (6.2%) patients were EBV positive, while no anyone in control group was EBV positive, but this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.119). 10 (15.4%) of patients with MS in terms of HERV were positive and in the control group only 2 (3.1%) of the subjects in terms of HERV, were positive. The rate of HERV positive in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of MS patients was significantly higher than healthy individuals (P=0.030).