The Study Of Relationships Between EB Virus And Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possibility that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection may play a role in the origin of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the association between the EBV infection and SLE disease activity.METHODS: EBV DNA from serum and peripheral blood monocytes was detected with PCR in 41 SLE patients and 43 matched normal controls in age and sex. The expression of EBV lytic gene BZLF1 in EBV DNA positive samples was examined by nested PCR. EBV-IgM antibody was tested in serum by ELISA. Both groups of autoimmune antibody spectrum were detected via immune blotting as well as the ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate in an hour) were assessed.RESULTS: ㊣n the serum of 41 SLE patients 7 were EBV DNA positive (positive rate 17.07%), in which 6 were SLE active disease (positive rate 22.22%) and only one was showed in inactive phase (positive rate 7.14%), while none of the 43 controls was EBV DNA positive. There was significant difference between SLE patients and controls in the EBV DNA positive rate (x2=5.93,P<0.05), however no difference was observed between SLE active and inactive phase (x2=0.607,P>0.05). ㊣n peripheral blood monocytes of the 41 SLE patients 11 were EBV DNA positive (positive rate 26.83%), including 10 patients in SLE active phase(37.04%) and one in SLE inactive phase(7.14%), while 3 were found in control group (positive rate 6.98%). The EBV DNA in SLE patients showed higher positive rate than that ofthe normal controls (x2=5.955, P<0.05), but no difference was found in the subgroups of SLE patients. (3)The expression of lytic gene BZLF1 mRNA in EBV DNA positive samples was no significant difference between SLE patients and controls. (4)EBV IgM was assessed by ELISA. The positive rate of EBV IgM increased in patients with SLE (7.3%) when compared with controls (0). However, there were no differences in two groups (x2=1.484,P>0.05). Meanwhile ESR accelerated and more than a sort of autoimmune antibody could be detected in the active SLE.CONCLUSION: These results indicated that there are EBV infection and kinds of autoimmune antibodys in SLE patients. It suggests that EBV infection may be related to the pathogenesis of SLE.