• Silje Kvistad, Kjell-Morten Myhr, Trygve Holmøy, Søren Bakke, Antonie G Beiske, Kristian S Bjerve, Harald Hovdal, Kristin I Løken-Amsrud, Finn Lilleås, Rune Midgard, Gro Njølstad, Tom Pedersen, Jūratė Šaltytė Benth, Stig Wergeland, and Oivind Torkildsen.
• Norwegian MS Competence Centre, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies vei 65, 5053 Bergen, Norway silje.agnethe.stokke@helse-bergen.no.
• Mult. Scler. 2014 Dec 1; 20 (14): 1833-40.

BackgroundPrevious reports indicate an association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody levels and multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity, but the results have been conflicting.ObjectivesThe objective of this paper is to study if EBV antibody levels reflect MRI disease activity in MS and examine the potential for EBV antibody levels as biomarkers for treatment response.MethodsA total of 87 MS patients were followed for two years prior to and during interferon beta (IFNB) treatment, with MRI examinations and serum measurement of IgM and IgG antibodies to viral capsid antigen (VCA), EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) and early antigen (EA). Associations between EBV antibody levels and MRI activity were assessed by a logistic regression model.ResultsHigher anti-EBNA-1 IgG levels were associated with increased MRI activity, OR = 2.95 (95% CI 1.07-8.10; p = 0.036) for combined unique activity (CUA; the sum of T1Gd+ lesions and new or enlarging T2 lesions). Although most patients were anti-VCA IgM negative, there was an inverse association, OR = 0.32 (95% CI 0.12-0.84; p = 0.021) with CUA during IFNB treatment.ConclusionsThis study supports an association between anti-EBNA-1 IgG levels and MS disease activity. We also found an inverse association with anti-VCA IgM levels during IFNB treatment not previously described, indicating anti-VCA IgM as a possible biomarker for IFNB treatment response.© The Author(s), 2014.

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