Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28388676›Full record

ArticlePloS one2017

Epstein-Barr virus antibodies in serum and DNA load in saliva are not associated with radiological or clinical disease activity in patients with early multiple sclerosis.

René M Gieß, Catherina Pfuhl, Janina R Behrens, Ludwig Rasche, Erik Freitag, Nima Khalighy, Carolin Otto, Jens Wuerfel, Alexander U Brandt, Jörg Hofmann and 4 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed
3.0field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 51 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. CD4Science translational medicine · 2026
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  11. An Update on Diagnostic Laboratory Biomarkers for Multiple Sclerosis.Current neurology and neuroscience reports · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

René M GießDepartment of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Catherina PfuhlDepartment of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Janina R BehrensDepartment of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Ludwig RascheDepartment of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Erik FreitagDepartment of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Nima KhalighyDepartment of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Carolin OttoSt. Josefs-Krankenhaus, Potsdam, Germany.
Jens WuerfelNeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Alexander U BrandtNeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Jörg HofmannLabor Berlin Charité-Vivantes GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
Bettina EberspächerLabor Berlin Charité-Vivantes GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
Judith Bellmann-StroblNeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Friedemann PaulDepartment of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Klemens RuprechtDepartment of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1962-6014
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin · DEMax Delbrück Center · DEVivantes Klinikum · DESt. Josef Krankenhaus · DEUniversity of Basel · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) and viral capsid antigen (VCA) immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies in serum as well as EBV DNA load in saliva with radiological and clinical disease activity in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and early relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

methodsEBNA-1 and VCA immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies were determined in serum of 100 patients with CIS/early RRMS and 60 healthy controls. EBV DNA load was measured in saliva of 48 patients and 50 controls. Patients underwent clinical assessment with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and after a median of 20 months of follow-up (n = 63 for MRI, n = 71 for EDSS). The association of EBV parameters with occurrence of a second relapse, indicating conversion to clinically definite MS (CDMS), was evaluated over a median of 35 months of follow-up after the first clinical event (n = 89).

resultsEBNA-1 IgG antibody frequency (p = 0.00005) and EBNA-1 and VCA IgG antibody levels (p<0.0001 for both) were higher in patients than in controls. EBV DNA load in saliva did not differ between groups. Neither EBV antibody levels nor DNA load in saliva were associated with baseline or follow-up number or volume of T2-weighted (T2w) or contrast enhancing lesions, number of Barkhof criteria or the EDSS, or with the number of new T2w lesions, T2w lesion volume change or EDSS change on follow-up. Likewise, levels of EBV IgG antibodies in serum and DNA load in saliva were not associated with conversion to CDMS.

conclusionsWhile these findings confirm the association of EBV infection with early MS, neither EBNA-1 nor VCA IgG antibodies in serum nor EBV DNA load in saliva were associated with radiological or clinical disease activity in patients with CIS/early RRMS. These data are compatible with the concept that EBV may be a trigger for MS acting very early during the development of the disease.

Indexed as

AdultAntibodies, ViralBiomarkersCase-Control StudiesDNA, ViralFemaleHerpesvirus 4, HumanHumansMaleMiddle AgedMultiple SclerosisSalivaYoung AdultAntibodies, ViralBiomarkersDNA, Viral

Identifiers

PMID28388676
PMCPMC5384756
OpenAlexW2604695218

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.