Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in childhood inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has repeatedly been discussed to play a role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis in both adults and children. Crossreactivity between viral proteins and CNS autoantigens has been proposed as a likely mechanism how autoimmune responses emerge following infection. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antibodies to EBV proteins in children presenting with a first episode of inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) and correlate those with the antibody response to native myelin oligodendrocyte protein (nMOG), a putative autoantigen involved in demyelinating diseases of the CNS.