Interferon β1a treatment does not influence serum Epstein-Barr virus antibodies in patients with multiple sclerosis

There is increasing evidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) being conditional in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis and influential for disease activity. Interferon-beta (IFN beta) is a cytokine with antiviral effects used to treat MS, in which a possible antiviral effect against EBV has been questioned. In this study, we investigated the effect of IFN beta-1a treatment on serum EBV antibody levels in 84 patients with relapsing-remitting MS. In the 18 months following IFN beta-1a treatment initiation, there were no significant associations between treatment and serum levels of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) immunoglobulin (Ig) G, early antigen (EA) IgG, viral capsid antigen (VCA) IgG or VCA IgM. The findings suggest that IFN beta-1a treatment does not influence the humoral response to EBV in patients with MS.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effect of IFN beta-1a treatment on serum EBV antibody levels in patients with relapsing-remitting MS and found no significant associations between treatment and EBV antibody levels.