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Lack of evidence for epstein‐barr virus infection in myasthenia gravis thymus
Author(s) -
Meyer Mandy,
Höls AnnKathrin,
Liersch Britta,
Leistner Rasmus,
Gellert Klaus,
Schalke Berthold,
Marx Alexander,
Niedobitek Gerald
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.22522
Subject(s) - myasthenia gravis , pathogenesis , lytic cycle , virus , immunohistochemistry , immunology , bzlf1 , epstein–barr virus , in situ hybridization , antibody , virology , biology , medicine , herpesviridae , pathology , viral disease , gene , messenger rna , biochemistry
A role for Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) in myasthenia gravis pathogenesis has been suggested recently. Using in situ hybridization for the detection of the EBV‐encoded RNAs and EBNA1‐specific immunohistochemistry, we found no latently infected cells in a series of thymus specimens from patients with myasthenia gravis showing lymphofollicular thymitis. In addition, using immunohistochemistry and an antibody specific for the viral immediate early protein BZLF1, no evidence of lytic EBV infection was seen in these cases. Our results therefore do not support a direct role of thymic EBV infection in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis. Ann Neurol 2011;70:515–