title: Plasma titers of antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus BZLF1 and risk of multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Results of recently conducted prospective studies have demonstrated that the presence of high titers of anti-EBNA-1 or anti-EBNA complex IgG antibodies in healthy individuals is a strong risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). Antibodies to BZLF1, the product of the homonymous early lytic gene, have been found to be related to risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but have not been previously measured in MS studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined whether high levels of anti-BZLF1 IgG antibodies also predict MS risk in a nested case-control study among women in the Nurses Health Study and Nurses Health Study II cohorts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of this prospective study suggest that antibody titers to EBNAs are the strongest predictor of MS risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Little further contribution may be provided by measuring anti-BZLF1 antibodies in regard to MS risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. jmassa@hsph.harvard.edu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Munger
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: K I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ascherio
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000097:blood*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; C063676:BZLF1 protein, Herpesvirus 4, Human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014764:Viral Proteins