HLA-dependent association between EBNA1 antibody levels and disability progression in multiple sclerosis

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is strongly implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility, but the relevance of EBV-related immune responses for disability progression after disease onset remains unclear. Previous studies of EBV antibodies and MS course have shown inconsistent findings and have rarely considered modification by HLA genotype.

In this population-based cohort study, higher EBNA1 antibody levels were associated with a lower risk of disability progression, with the strongest inverse association observed among individuals carrying both HLA-DRB1*15:01 and HLA-A*02:01. The findings suggest that the association between EBV-related antibody responses and MS progression may vary according to host immunogenetic background.

The results support more genetically stratified approaches in studies of biomarkers and disease progression in MS and suggest that EBV-related immune markers should not be...