Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus in primary Sjogren's syndrome.
Sera from 28 patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (SS) and 20 healthy subjects were tested for the presence of antibodies to Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and Cytomegalovirus (CMV). No difference was noted in the mean titre of anti-CMV antibodies in patients and in controls. For what concerns EBV, the mean titre of anti-EBNA antibodies was significantly higher in SS patients than in normals (p less than 0.001); moreover, within the SS population, titres were higher in SSB-positive than in SSB-negative patients (p less than 0.05). These results, together with the fact that anti-SSB antibodies (characteristic of Sjögren's Syndrome) recognize also two EBV-encoded RNAs, strengthen the hypothesis that EBV is involved in the pathogenesis of SS.
Origgi
L
L
Istituto di Medicina Interna, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
Hu
C
C
Bertetti
E
E
Asero
R
R
D'Agostino
P
P
Radelli
L
L
Riboldi
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral