ArticleNeurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation2026
EBV Dysregulation Is Associated With Immune Imbalance in Multiple Sclerosis: Evidence From Integrated Viral and Host Analyses.
Article in Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesEpstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is a prerequisite for the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), yet whether EBV acts merely as a trigger at disease onset or also contributes to immune dysregulation and disease progression remains unclear. To explore potential mechanisms linking EBV to immune alterations, we performed a comprehensive analysis of EBV markers and immune-related gene expression in peripheral blood samples from therapy-naïve persons with MS (PwMS) and healthy donors (HD) and assessed EBV transcripts in CSF cells to explore compartment-specific viral activity.
methodsPeripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum from PwMS (n = 77) and HD (n = 40) were analyzed. EBV serology, DNA load, and RNA expression were assessed by ELISA, droplet digital PCR, and preamplified real-time RT-PCR, respectively. EBV RNA was also evaluated in PwMS CSF cells. Gene expression profiling of 47 immune-related genes selected for their relevance to MS was also performed in PBMCs. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical approaches also considering demographic, clinical, and radiologic information. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify transcriptional signatures associated with MS.
resultsAnti-EBNA1 IgG titers were higher in PwMS. In addition, EBV RNA and DNA were more frequently detected, and viral load was increased compared with HD. Notably, EBV transcripts associated with latency II/III (LMP1, LMP2A, EBNA1, EBNA3A) and lytic reactivation (BZLF1, gp350/220) were more prevalent in PwMS. Although viral RNA was detected in only 7% of CSF samples, all positive cases showed profiles consistent with viral reactivation. Immune gene expression analysis revealed broad upregulation of cytotoxic effectors, type I interferon pathways, and chemokine signaling in PwMS. EFA identified a significantly different gene signature linking BZLF1 expression with inflammatory genes, type I interferon responses, and chemokines involved in immune cell migration, in PwMS. DISCUSSION: Our findings support the hypothesis that EBV latency disruption and lytic reactivation contribute to immune dysregulation in MS. The association between EBV transcriptional activity and immune gene alterations may uncover potential peripheral biomarkers of EBV-driven pathology. These molecular signatures may provide insights into novel therapeutic avenues and peripheral biomarkers for MS monitoring.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.