Is EBV-infection under the control of Vitamin-D?

[Ecoclimber]

Is EBV-infection under the control of Vitamin-D? ​

Ramien C, Pachnio A, Sisay S, Begum J, Leese A, Disanto G, Kuhle J, Giovannoni G, Rickinson A, Ramagopalan SV, Moss P, Meier UC.Hypovitaminosis-D and EBV: no interdependence between two MS risk factors in a healthy young UK autumn cohort. Mult Scler. 2013 Nov 5. [Epub ahead of print]

Late Epstein-Barr virus infection and hypovitaminosis-D as environmental risk factors in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis are gaining great interest. We, therefore, tested for in-vivo interdependence between Epstein-Barr-virus (EBV)-status and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) -level in healthy young individuals from a United Kingdom (UK) autumn cohort. EBV-load was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and 25(OH)D3 levels by isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This young, healthy UK autumn cohort showed surprisingly low levels of 25(OH)D3 (mean value: 40.5 nmol/L ± 5.02). Furthermore, we found that low 25(OH)D3 levels did not impact on EBV load and anti-EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) titers. However, we observed a correlation between EBV load and EBNA-1 titers. These observations should be of value in the study of the potential relationship between hypovitaminosis-D and EBV-status in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis

“As EBV-status and suboptimal Vitamin-D levels are potential risk factors for MS, we wanted to test whether they acted in concert or independently. In collaboration with Birmingham’s CMV/EBV teams, we measured EBV-status and Vitamin-D levels in young, healthy medical students.

What did we find? To our surprise, the majority of students had insufficient Vitamin-D levels. Interestingly, the samples were obtained in 2007 after one of the wettest UK summers. We did not see an effect on the control of EBV-infection at these suboptimal vitamin-D levels.

There are now two potential scenarios: vitamin-D and EBV-status act independently as risk factors in MS or optimal vitamin-D levels may be needed to exert an effect on EBV-infection.”

Several studies have monitored anti-EBV responses and vitamin-D levels in MSers: Epstein-Barr virus antibodies and vitamin D in prospective multiple sclerosis biobank samples. Salzer J, Nyström M, Hallmans G, Stenlund H, Wadell G, Sundström P. Mult Scler. 2013 Oct;19(12):1587-91. 2013 Apr 2.

Vitamin D supplementation and antibodies against the Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis patients. Disanto G, Handel AE, Damoiseaux J, Hupperts R, Giovannoni G, Smolders J, Ramagopalan SV. Mult Scler. 2013 Oct;19(12):1679-80.

Review on EBV and VitD: Vitamin D: a link between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis development? Disanto G, Meier U, Giovannoni G, Ramagopalan SV. Expert Rev Neurother. 2011 Sep;11(9):1221-4.

“Furthermore, given my past area of work, I am very interested in the literature on Hepatitis-C/ Hepatitis-B/HIV-infection. They are testing similar ideas on persistent virus infections and Vitamin-D at the moment to see whether vitamin-D supplementation has an effect on anti-viral immune responses, immunopathology and the response to treatment.”

Low vitamin D serum concentration is associated with high levels of hepatitis B virus replication in chronically infected patients. Farnik H, Bojunga J, Berger A, Allwinn R, Waidmann O, Kronenberger B, Keppler OT, Zeuzem S, Sarrazin C, Lange CM. Hepatology. 2013 Oct;58(4):1270-6. doi: 10.1002/hep.26488. Epub 2013 Aug 7.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with severity of liver disease in HIV/HCV coinfected patients. Guzmán-Fulgencio M, García-Álvarez M, Berenguer J, Jiménez-Sousa MA, Cosín J, Pineda-Tenor D, Carrero A, Aldámiz T, Alvarez E, López JC, Resino S. J Infect. 2013 Nov 1. S0163-4453(13)00326-5. 10.1016/j.jinf.2013.10.011. [Epub ahead of print]

“So far we conclude that rainy UK summers may impact on your health and you may want to consider vitamin-D supplementation in the UK or spending your summer holidays somewhere sunny.”

CI: Ute-Christiane Meier reports no conflict of interest

permission to repost from mousedoctor

Eco

 

[Wally]

Is EBV-infection under the control of Vitamin-D? ​

Ramien C, Pachnio A, Sisay S, Begum J, Leese A, Disanto G, Kuhle J, Giovannoni G, Rickinson A, Ramagopalan SV, Moss P, Meier UC.Hypovitaminosis-D and EBV: no interdependence between two MS risk factors in a healthy young UK autumn cohort. Mult Scler. 2013 Nov 5. [Epub ahead of print]

Late Epstein-Barr virus infection and hypovitaminosis-D as environmental risk factors in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis are gaining great interest. We, therefore, tested for in-vivo interdependence between Epstein-Barr-virus (EBV)-status and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) -level in healthy young individuals from a United Kingdom (UK) autumn cohort. EBV-load was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and 25(OH)D3 levels by isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This young, healthy UK autumn cohort showed surprisingly low levels of 25(OH)D3 (mean value: 40.5 nmol/L ± 5.02). Furthermore, we found that low 25(OH)D3 levels did not impact on EBV load and anti-EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) titers. However, we observed a correlation between EBV load and EBNA-1 titers. These observations should be of value in the study of the potential relationship between hypovitaminosis-D and EBV-status in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis

“As EBV-status and suboptimal Vitamin-D levels are potential risk factors for MS, we wanted to test whether they acted in concert or independently. In collaboration with Birmingham’s CMV/EBV teams, we measured EBV-status and Vitamin-D levels in young, healthy medical students.

What did we find? To our surprise, the majority of students had insufficient Vitamin-D levels. Interestingly, the samples were obtained in 2007 after one of the wettest UK summers. We did not see an effect on the control of EBV-infection at these suboptimal vitamin-D levels.

There are now two potential scenarios: vitamin-D and EBV-status act independently as risk factors in MS or optimal vitamin-D levels may be needed to exert an effect on EBV-infection.”

Several studies have monitored anti-EBV responses and vitamin-D levels in MSers: Epstein-Barr virus antibodies and vitamin D in prospective multiple sclerosis biobank samples. Salzer J, Nyström M, Hallmans G, Stenlund H, Wadell G, Sundström P. Mult Scler. 2013 Oct;19(12):1587-91. 2013 Apr 2.

Vitamin D supplementation and antibodies against the Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis patients. Disanto G, Handel AE, Damoiseaux J, Hupperts R, Giovannoni G, Smolders J, Ramagopalan SV. Mult Scler. 2013 Oct;19(12):1679-80.

Review on EBV and VitD: Vitamin D: a link between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis development? Disanto G, Meier U, Giovannoni G, Ramagopalan SV. Expert Rev Neurother. 2011 Sep;11(9):1221-4.

“Furthermore, given my past area of work, I am very interested in the literature on Hepatitis-C/ Hepatitis-B/HIV-infection. They are testing similar ideas on persistent virus infections and Vitamin-D at the moment to see whether vitamin-D supplementation has an effect on anti-viral immune responses, immunopathology and the response to treatment.”

Low vitamin D serum concentration is associated with high levels of hepatitis B virus replication in chronically infected patients. Farnik H, Bojunga J, Berger A, Allwinn R, Waidmann O, Kronenberger B, Keppler OT, Zeuzem S, Sarrazin C, Lange CM. Hepatology. 2013 Oct;58(4):1270-6. doi: 10.1002/hep.26488. Epub 2013 Aug 7.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with severity of liver disease in HIV/HCV coinfected patients. Guzmán-Fulgencio M, García-Álvarez M, Berenguer J, Jiménez-Sousa MA, Cosín J, Pineda-Tenor D, Carrero A, Aldámiz T, Alvarez E, López JC, Resino S. J Infect. 2013 Nov 1. S0163-4453(13)00326-5. 10.1016/j.jinf.2013.10.011. [Epub ahead of print]

“So far we conclude that rainy UK summers may impact on your health and you may want to consider vitamin-D supplementation in the UK or spending your summer holidays somewhere sunny.”

CI: Ute-Christiane Meier reports no conflict of interest

permission to repost from mousedoctor

Eco

Ecoclimber,

I have been trying to research (with my somewhat limited research skills) the possible connection between EBV (and/or other herpes viruses), Vitamin D and the thyroid gland. I had spent some time meeting and talking with Rich Von Kronenberg and I believe I had peaked his interest in the hypothesis for the connection of these three elements to the viral part of this illness. Unfortunately, Rich passsed away just as we working on a plan to get him a private meeting with some of the key ME/CFS experts to discuss in more detail his methylation hypothesis, as well as some of the ideas a group of patients had been tossing around based on their own experiences with this illness, family health history and old fashioned detective work to try to connect a few more of the dots. If you come across any additional research along any of these lines, I would be more than willing to take a look at this information.

The other area that I and others have been doing more background digging into as it may relate to cluster outbreaks of this illness is toxic blue green algae. Very interesting to go back in history and find historical data that appears to show a possible pattern of a toxic blue green algae blooms around the time of many of these cluster outbreaks. While whether or not this can be proven to have a causal relationship to this illness is still unknown. However, it would seem to be one area of research that still has some potential for further investigation just as the we are finding that a tick bite may carry many more viral and bacterial infections than had been thought about and tested for when doctors ruled out "Lyme" or tick born infectious disease as a factor in this illness. Maybe they should be a new category of potential triggers for this disease called "arthropod induced" ME or ME/CFS?

So much more work needs to be done using the power of technological advances in data mining. The interesting part of this research is that it might just uncover valuable information for other disease processes that are turning the human race into a cornucopia of chronic and "allegedly autoimmune" illnesses.

Wally (Susan)

 

[Ecoclimber]

I'll have to get back to you on this as I first need to deal with some firestorm issues here as well as in technology