Greater humoral EBV response may be associated with choroid plexus inflammation in progressive MS

Dejan Jakimovski; Robert Zivadinov; Murali Ramanathan; Bianca Weinstock-Guttman; Eleonora Tavazzi; Michael G Dwyer; Niels Bergsland

doi:10.1007/s13365-024-01231-w

Greater humoral EBV response may be associated with choroid plexus inflammation in progressive MS

J Neurovirol. 2024 Oct 17. doi: 10.1007/s13365-024-01231-w. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Dejan Jakimovski^{1

2}, Robert Zivadinov^{3

4}, Murali Ramanathan⁵, Bianca Weinstock-Guttman⁶, Eleonora Tavazzi⁷, Michael G Dwyer³, Niels Bergsland³

Affiliations

¹ Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 100 High St, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA. djakimovski@bnac.net.
² Wynn Hospital, Mohawk Valley Health System, Utica, NY, 13502, USA. djakimovski@bnac.net.
³ Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 100 High St, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
⁴ Center for Biomedical Imaging at the Clinical Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
⁵ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
⁶ Department of Neurology, Jacobs Comprehensive MS Treatment and Research Center, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
⁷ Multiple Sclerosis Centre, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.

PMID: 39420132
DOI: 10.1007/s13365-024-01231-w

Abstract

Choroid plexus (CP) inflammation can be quantified in vivo with MRI in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). It remains unknown whether Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) is related to CP changes. Total of 170 pwMS (116 relapsing-remitting; RRMS and 54 progressive MS; PMS) underwent MRI examination and measurement of humoral anti-EBV response. CP volume and CP pseudo-T2 (pT2), a relaxation time indicative of edema and neuroinflammation, were measured. Moreover, anti-EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) IgG and anti-EBV capsid antigen (VCA) IgG antibodies were measured. The PMS group had greater CP pT2 value when compared to RRMS (1120ms vs. 954ms, p = 0.037). After adjusting for age and therapy effects, higher CP pT2 values were associated with higher anti-EBNA-1 IgG levels only in PMS (r = 0.352, p = 0.015). Higher Anti-EBV humoral response in pwMS may be associated with increased CP neuroinflammatory changes and may be more relevant for the later chronic stage of the disease. Large-scale studies should investigate whether these findings are generalizable to all types of progressive MS.

Keywords: Choroid plexus; Chronic inflammation; EBV; Progressive MS.