Risk factors for multiple sclerosis and associations with anti-EBV antibody titers

- There was a higher EBV seropositivity in MS patients.
- Anti-VCA and anti-EBNA-1 titers were significantly higher in MS patients.
- Older age, female gender and having MS are associated with higher anti-VCA titer.
- Older age, male gender and having MS are associated with higher anti-EBNA-1 titer.
- Young age, high titers, heavy smoking and low vitamin D were significant MS predictors.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelination of the central nervous system. We investigated the prevalence of EBV seropositivity and other known risk factors for MS (age, smoking, low vitamin D) and their effect on anti-EBV antibody titers. We retrospectively studied 249 MS patients receiving care at the American University of Beirut Medical Center and 230 controls, during 2010-2014. EBV seropositivity was higher in MS patients compared to controls for both anti-VCA (99.5%; 97.2%) and anti-EBNA-1 (96.3%; 89.4%), and the titers were significantly higher in MS patients. MS patients had a significantly lower vitamin D level (15.5 ± 8.3 ng/ml) compared to controls (20.4 ± 11.3 ng/ml). The proportion of heavy smokers and overweight individuals was significantly higher in MS patients. Lebanese MS patients have risk factors similar to those in western countries. Older age and female gender were associated with a higher anti-VCA titer and male gender with a higher anti-EBNA-1.