Virus causing mono may raise risk of multiple sclerosis

One of the top risk factors for developing one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) is mononucleosis also referred to as mono which is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.  For decades, researchers have linked mono to the disease of multiple sclerosis also referred to as MS that affects more than 2.3 million people around the world. 

New study on link between MS and mono

Now there is even more evidence that people who have had mono may be at a higher risk for developing MS.  This is according to a new study published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. 

Studies from the past which have found a link between mono and MS have mainly looked at the risk to the Caucasian population.  This new research wanted to examine if there was a similar link for other racial groups as well. 

Findings from study

For the study, 1,090 Blacks, Hispanic and white people were recruited over a three year period.  Each group also had a balance of healthy people versus people with MS or its precursor called clinically isolated syndrome.  To check for the Epstein-Barr antibody, participants had blood tests done and were asked if they had ever had mono in their past.

What was discovered was that the risk for MS was higher for participants who had had mono than participants who had not had mono.  Blacks who had mono were more than four times more likely to develop MS than those who had not, while Hispanics were almost four times more likely to develop MS.  Whites were found to be two times more likely to develop MS. 

An interesting find was that participants who had mono in their teen years or in adulthood had a greater risk of MS than people who had contracted mono as a child.  When children are diagnosed with mono, the Epstein-Barr virus hardly has any symptoms.  But exposure in adolescence or adulthood can trigger severe symptoms such as fatigue, fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes.  The theory as to why people who had mono at an older age than childhood are more likely to develop MS is that the virus somehow alters the immune system in a way that promotes MS.

This new research points to the need for development of an Epstein-Barr virus vaccine which could possibly hold the key to ending MS. 

MS in the United States

In the United States, an estimated 400,000 Americans have MS.  This inflammatory condition leads to the immune system attacking itself causing damage to myelin – a fatty material insulating nerves, acting much like the covering of an electric wire.  Having MS triggers a variety of neurological problems such as fatigue, muscle weakness, and poor balance.

Some quick facts on MS:

·      It is a progressive disease of the central nervous system for which there is no cure at present

·      More women than men have MS with a ratio of three women to two men

·      MS is not directly hereditary, although genetic susceptibility plays a part in its development

·      MS is not contagious or infectious

·      Diagnosis of MS is generally between 20 and 40 years of age, although onset may be earlier

·      There are a wide range of symptoms, with fatigue being one of the most common

·      The incidence of MS increases in countries further from the equator

·      There is no drug that can cure MS, but treatments are now available which can modify the course of the disease

·      Many of the symptoms of MS can be successfully managed and treated