SOLOPOS.COM – Herpes Virus (JIBI/Bisnis Indonesia)
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Solopos.com, SOLO-There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the Epstein Barr virus or herpes virus, one of the most common viruses in the world, can predispose some people to developing multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that occurs when cells of the immune system mistakenly attack the protective coating on nerve fibers, potentially paralyzing a person.
In fact, the herpes virus has long been thought to play a role in the development of autoimmune or inflammatory diseases multiple sclerosis this. The virus is transmitted through saliva and in people who have been infected with this virus, they will experience symptoms in the form of fever, sore throat and inflammation of the lymph nodes in the neck. “This is a difficult relationship to prove because almost everyone is infected with Epstein Barr, when they are children or young adults. However, only a small proportion develop MS,” the researchers wrote, reported ABC News and Bisnis.com, Sunday (16/1/2022).
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Meanwhile, on Thursday (13/1/2022) Harvard researchers reported one study that supports Epstein Barr’s theory about the herpes virus that can cause multiple sclerosis. They tracked stored blood samples from more than 10 million people in the US military and found the risk of MMS increased 32-fold after Epstein Barr infection. The military routinely performs blood tests on its service members and researchers examine samples stored from 1993 to 2013 for antibodies that suggest viral infection.
As a result, only 5.3 percent of military members showed no signs of Epstein Barr when they joined the military. The researchers then compared 801 cases of MS, which were then diagnosed over a 20-year period with 1,566 service members who had never had MS.
In the study, they found that only one of the MS patients had no evidence of the Epstein Barr virus prior to diagnosis. And, despite their intensive search, the researchers found no evidence that another viral infection played a role. “The findings strongly suggest that Epstein Barr infection is ‘a cause and not a consequence of MS,’ said Alberto Ascherio of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and study author.
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In a report published in the journal Science, they mention that this is clearly not the only factor, given that about 90 percent of adults have antibodies that indicate they have Epstein Barr. The Epstein Barr virus is known to cause infectious mononucleosis. The virus, which remains dormant in the body after the initial infection, has also been linked to the development of several rare autoimmune diseases and cancers later in life.
While it’s still unclear why this happens, there’s a possibility called molecular mimicry, which means that viral proteins may look so similar to some nervous system proteins that they induce a mistaken immune attack. Regardless, Mark Allegretta, vice president for research at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, said: “This new study is the strongest evidence yet that Epstein Barr contributes to MS.
“And that opens the door to preventing MS, by preventing Epstein Barr infection,” says Allegretta. Currently, efforts are underway to develop an Epstein Barr vaccine including a small study recently started by Moderna Inc., known for its Covid-19 mRNA vaccine.
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