title: Evaluation of viral antibodies in Iranian multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the viral antibodies in new Iranian multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study, sera from 61 MS patients and 60 healthy individuals were collected from January 2009 to March 2010 in the Immunology Department of Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran, and examined for the presence of the anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6), measles, mumps, and para-influenza viruses IgG and IgM using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or immunofluorescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences between the MS patients and the healthy individuals (controls) in the seroprevalence of anti-HHV-6 IgM (odds ratio [OR]=4.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2-9.3, p=0.001); anti-HHV-6 IgG (OR=2, 95% CI=1-4, p=0.04); anti-measles IgM (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.5-6.9, p=0.002); and the anti-mumps IgM (OR=4.1, 95% CI=1.9-8.8, p=0.0001) and IgG (OR=9.5, 95% CI=3-29.6, p=0.0001). Almost all MS patients and the control individuals were negative to EBV and parainfluenza IgM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm an association between the incidence of MS and the antibodies to HHV-6 and the measles and mumps viruses, and show induction of a primary immune response (IgM), or virus reactivation, in MS patients. These viruses may have an important role in development of MS as an initial trigger in this geographical area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khaki
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghazavi
authors.forename: Keyvan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghasami
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rafiei
authors.forename: Mohammah-Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Payani
authors.forename: Ehsanollah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghaznavi-Rad
authors.forename: Ghasem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mosayebi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D009109:Mumps virus / Q000276:immunology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M