Epstein-Barr virus-specific intrathecal oligoclonal IgG production in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis is limited to a subset of patients and is composed of low-affinity antibodies

Table 6 Demographic and clinical features, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum levels and intrathecal synthesis of anti-Epstein Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) and anti-viral capsid antigen (VCA) IgG levels in 100 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients divided according to antigen-specific immunoblotting (ASI) findings

	ASI positive RRMS	ASI negative RRMS
	(n = 24)	(n = 76)
Sex: F/M	17/7	53/23
Age, years: mean ± SD	36.7 ±9.1	37.5 ±11.1
Disease duration, months: mean ± SD	28.7 ±40.2	30.8 ±48.5
Disease severity, EDSS: mean ± SD	2.2 ±1.5	2.0 ±1.2
CA MS: n/total (%)	20/24 (83.3%)	57/76 (75.0%)
CA MS: n/total (%)	4/24 (16.7%)	19/76 (25.0%)
Gd+ MS: n/total (%)	13/24 (54.2%)	24/76 (31.6%)
Gd- MS: n/total (%)	11/24 (45.8%)	52/76 (68.4%)
CSF anti-EBNA-1 IgG (AU): mean ± SD	193.0 ±266.0	155.2 ±232.1
CSF anti-VCA IgG (AU): mean ± SD	41.6 ±56.9	81.5 ±243.4
Serum anti-EBNA-1 IgG (AU): mean ± SD	126502 ±205623	132114 ±198699
Serum anti-VCA IgG (AU): mean ± SD	21572 ±24497	50122 ±75151^a
EBNA-1 AI >1.5: n/total (%)	3/21 (12.5%)	3/76 (4.0%)
VCA AI >1.5: n/total (%)	1/21 (4.2%)	1/76 (1.3%)

Serum anti-EBNA-1 IgG levels (Mann- Whitney): ^aASI negative versus ASI positive (p <0.05). AI >1.5, antibody index abnormal values suggestive of EBV-specific intrathecal synthesis; ASI negative, absence of EBV-specific IgG oligoclonal bands; ASI positive, presence of EBV-specific IgG oligoclonal bands; CA, clinically active (presence of relapse at entry); CS, clinically stable (absence of relapse at entry); EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale; Gd+, appearance of gadolium enhancing lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Gd-, no evidence of gadolium enhancing on MRI; RRMS, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis; SD, standard deviation.

ISSN: 1742-2094