Epstein Bar Virus - Arthritis

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Epstein-Barr Virus May Play A Role in The Development of Rheumatoid

Arthritis

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WESTPORT, May 15 (Reuters Health) - A report from Germany supports the

notion that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be involved in the pathogenesis of

rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Sabine Blaschke and colleagues from the University of Goettingen

examined the sera of 55 patients with rheumatoid arthritis for antibodies

against EBV-encoded antigens. They compared the results with data on a

matched control group of 60 individuals without rheumatoid arthritis.

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Dr. Blaschke's group detected a

twofold increase in values of IgG antibodies against Epstein-Barr nuclear

antigen 1 compared with the control group. Levels of antibodies against EBV

viral capsid antigen were not significantly different between groups.

Dr. Blaschke and colleagues note, in their report in the April issue of The

Journal of Rheumatology, that 14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis had

reactivated EBV infection, compared with none in the control group.

In addition, EBV DNA was present in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of

50.9% of the rheumatoid arthritis patients compared with 30% of the control

group. Thirty percent of the rheumatoid arthritis patients had EBV DNA in

synovial fluid cells compared with 16.6% of subjects in the control group.

" However, EBER1/2 transcripts could only be found within synovial membranes

of 2 (8%) of 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, " the researchers say.

They conclude that " functional T-cell defects and molecular mimicry of

EBV-encoded antigens might have more biological significance for the

pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis than local EBV infection within the

rheumatoid synovium. "

J Rheumatol 2000;27:866-873.

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