one of the world's most common viruses may increase ms risk
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ms is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. getty
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contracting one of the world’s most common viruses may make people more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (ms) later in life, according to new research.
a harvard university study published in the journal science on thursday looked at blood samples of more than 10 million people between 1993 and 2013. (the samples came from the u.s. military, which regularly takes and stores members’ blood samples.) they found the risk of ms among people who had contracted the epstein-barr virus were increased 32-fold. contracting other viruses, meanwhile, didn’t appear to make any difference in ms diagnosis.
“this is a big step because it suggests that most ms cases could be prevented by stopping ebv infection,” senior study author dr. alberto ascherio said. “targeting ebv could lead to the discovery of a cure for ms.”
almost everyone has been exposed to the epstein-barr virus
the findings are complicated by the fact that almost everybody is exposed to epstein-barr at some point in their life, while ms is relatively rare. epstein-barr is a common herpes virus that’s one of the most prevalent human viruses worldwide: most people are infected at some point in their lives, often in childhood, according to the center for disease control and prevention. it’s spread through saliva, and is often transmitted among kids who share food or toys. adults can also spread epstein-barr through sexual contact.
in most people, epstein-barr is thought to be fairly harmless: children don’t usually have symptoms, however, in rare cases, the virus can cause swollen lymph nodes or an enlarged spleen. it can also lead to mononucleosis (mono) or other illnesses. epstein-barr stays in the body for life, remaining inactive in most people. in fact, it’s so common that, of the military members whose blood was tested for the study, only 5.3 per cent showed no signs of epstein-barr when they joined.
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the study found that over the 20-year period, 801 service members developed ms, while 1,566 did not. only one of the patients with ms had not previously had epstein-barr.
ms is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerve fibres, which can cause permanent damage to the nerves, preventing clear communication between the brain and the rest of the body. this can lead to fatigue, vision problems, difficulty walking, tremors and slurred speech.
epstein-barr “a cause, not consequence of ms”
much is still unknown about the condition, including what causes it and why it tends to present very differently in different people. there is no cure.
the research results “strongly suggest” that contracting epstein-barr is “a cause and not a consequence of ms,” ascherio said, according to the associated press. “currently there is no way to effectively prevent or treat ebv infection. but an ebv vaccine or targeting the virus with ebv-specific antiviral drugs could ultimately prevent or cure ms.”
epstein-barr is clearly not the only cause of ms, as the new york times explains, since most people who contract epstein-barr don’t go on to get diagnosed with ms. but the link is a significant one.
some other known factors contribute to ms, including family history and genetics: 900 abnormal genes have been found in people with ms, the new york times has reported. most people are diagnosed between ages 20 and 40, according to the mayo clinic, while those who smoke, live in temperate climates, and have low vitamin d levels are more likely to get ms. a larger number of women develop ms than men.
one out of every 400 people in canada has ms, with more than 90,000 canadians living with the progressive disease today.
for more information on multiple sclerosis, check out the ms society of canada.
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maija kappler is a reporter and editor at healthing. she can be reached at mkappler@postmedia.com
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