Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42022360›Full record

ArticleNeurology open access2026

Risk of Multiple Sclerosis Among Persons with Epstein Barr Virus-Positive Mononucleosis: A Population-Based Study.

Jennifer L St Sauver, Susan Audrey Hall, Robert M Jacobson, B Mark Keegan, Chun Fan, Roderick A McPhee, Philip O Buck, John Diaz-Decaro

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neurology open access, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

8 authors.

Jennifer L St SauverDivision of Epidemiology, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Susan Audrey HallModernaTX, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA.
Robert M JacobsonDivisions of Community Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine and Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
B Mark KeeganDivision of Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Chun FanDivision of Clinical Trials and Biostatistics, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Roderick A McPheeModernaTX, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA.
Philip O BuckModernaTX, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA.
John Diaz-DecaroModernaTX, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA.

Funding

Interdisciplinary Infrastructure for Aging Research: Rochester Epidemiology ProjectR33AG058738 · NIA · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER · PI LEBRASSEUR, NATHAN K, OLSON, JANET E · 2020 to 2022
$2.4M
NIA NIH HHS R33 AG058738
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Objective: Prior studies examining associations between Epstein Barr Virus (EBV)-positive infectious mononucleosis (IM) and risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently lacked laboratory confirmation of EBV-positive IM or relied on billing codes to identify MS. We assessed whether laboratory-confirmed EBV-positive IM was associated with an increased risk of developing verified cases of MS. Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using medical records from the Rochester Epidemiology Project. We identified individuals with serologic evidence of EBV infection and an associated IM diagnosis (EBV-positive IM; exposed cohort) between 1998 and 2022. Age- (± 1 year) and sex-matched individuals without evidence of IM (3:1 match) comprised the unexposed cohort. Incident MS cases were verified through blinded expert chart review. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess associations between EBV-positive IM and risk of MS. Results: 4,721 persons had EBV-positive IM (exposed cohort: 55% female, 70% <20 years). The referent cohort included 14,163 persons without EBV-positive IM (55% female, 70% <20 years). During follow-up (median, 6 years for exposed; 8 years for referents), MS developed in 8 individuals with EBV-positive IM (0.17%) and 10 referents (0.07%). EBV-positive IM was associated with a >3-fold increased risk of MS (adjusted Hazard Ratio: 3.14, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.18-8.34). Discussion: EBV-positive IM was associated with a substantially higher risk of MS. Findings are consistent with prior studies and underscore the importance of preventive strategies targeting EBV to reduce the long-term burden of MS.

Indexed as

[ 142 ] Viral infections[ 41 ] Multiple sclerosis[ 54 ] Cohort studies[ 59 ] Risk factors in epidemiology

Identifiers

PMID42022360
PMCPMC13099077

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Registered trials

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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.