Antibodies to specific EBNA-1 domains and HLA DRB1⁎1501 interact as risk factors for multiple sclerosis☆

Received 4 May 2009; received in revised form 14 August 2009; accepted 14 August 2009. published online 07 September 2009.

Abstract

Epitope reactivity of multiple sclerosis (MS) plasma antibodies against the Epstein–Barr virus protein EBNA-1 and its association with HLA DRB1⁎1501 status was investigated in a case-referent study. Based on EBNA-1 fragment reactivity and the effect of peptide blocking, four 29–36 amino acid long EBNA-1 fragments were selected for detailed studies. MS cases had increased antibody reactivity against several EBNA-1 domains, of which antibodies against EBNA-1 (amino acid 385–420) in HLA DRB1⁎1501 positive individuals were associated with a 24-fold risk increase for MS. The data need confirmation in a larger sample but suggest a role for this epitope in the autoimmune pathogenesis of MS.

Keywords: Multiple sclerosis, Epstein–Barr virus, EBNA-1, Autoimmune diseases, HLA, Case control studies

a Department of Neurology, Umeå University Hospital, SE-901 85 Umeå, Sweden

b Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

Corresponding author. Tel.: +46 90 785 19 42; fax: +46 90 13 80 45.

☆ Statistical analysis was carried out by Dr Sundström, Department of Neurology, Umeå University Hospital, Sweden.

PII: S0165-5728(09)00309-9

doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2009.08.004

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