MOSCOW, 13 Jan. Multiple sclerosis, a severe disease of unknown etiology, is most likely a complication of an infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, a type of herpes, according to a study conducted by scientists from Harvard University. The article was published in the journal Science. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that affects the myelin sheaths that protect neurons in the brain and spinal cord. The cause of its occurrence is unknown, and there is no cure or vaccine. One hypothesis suggests that the disease is associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), but so far it has not been possible to establish an unambiguous link due to the fact that the herpes virus infects approximately 95 percent of adults, and multiple sclerosis is a relatively rare disease. To determine the link between EBV and multiple sclerosis, scientists at the T. H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University conducted a study of more than ten million members of the US military, and identified 955 people who were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during their service.Scientists have named a product that protects against many diseasesThe authors analyzed for EBV blood serum samples taken from the military every two years, and found that carriers of the Epstein-Barr virus had a 32-fold higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis than those with the virus herpes was not detected, even if other viruses were recorded. At the same time, the scientists noted that serum levels of the light chain of neurofilament — a biomarker of nerve degeneration typical of multiple sclerosis — increased only after infection with EBV, and the first symptoms of the disease appeared about ten years after infection . According to the authors, this clearly indicates that the main cause of multiple sclerosis is the herpes virus, which causes infectious mononucleosis and latent lifelong infection of the host. «The hypothesis that EBV causes multiple sclerosis has been studied by us and other research groups for several years, but this is the first conclusive evidence of a causal relationship,» said study leader Alberto Ascherio, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, in a press release from the Harvard School of Public Health. «This is a big step because it suggests that most cases of multiple sclerosis can be prevented by stopping EBV infection, and that targeting EBV could lead to the discovery of a cure for multiple sclerosis. stages, as well not because of the stable connection that is built between the immune system and the virus as a result of its repeated reactivation. COVID-19 is better than antibodies
