Immunological detection of human herpes virus-6 in sera of Iraqi patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease that infects and destroys the central nervous system (CNS). Many variables influence the start of multiple sclerosis disease. MS was thought to be mostly caused by viral infection, particularly infections with the human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and other viruses. Aim: the goal of the present study is to estimate the role of human herpesvirus-6 infection as a trigger factor for multiple sclerosis disorder and the role of some proinflammatory cytokine in early detection of this disorder. Material and Methods: We measured the titer of IgM, IgG Ab for human herpesvirus-6 and proinflammatory tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), between October 2023 and February 2024, in the 90 blood samples that were drawn from individuals aged 13 to 75. The medical personnel of Dr. Saad Al-Witry Hospital for Neurosciences provided diagnoses for these patients. We divided the subjects into 3 groups: the first group included 27 patients who suffered from multiple sclerosis with HHV-6 infection, the second group included 33 patients who suffered from multiple sclerosis without HHV-6, and the third group included 30 people who appeared to be in good health. We used the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technology to perform measurements. Results: The statistical analysis showed a significant increase (P≤0.01) in anti-HHV-6 IgM and IgG antibodies in the sera of patients with MS diseases and HHV-6 compared to the control group. There was also a significant increase (P≤0.01) in MS subjects without HHV-6 compared to the control group. Additionally, the statistical analysis of TNF-α level revealed a highly significant difference between MS patients with HHV-6 and those without HHV-6 compared with the control group. Furthermore, the statistical analysis showed a significant elevation (P≤0.01) in interleukin-6 (IL-6) in sera of patients with MS and HHV-6 compared to the control group and in MS subjects without HHV-6 compared to the control group. Conclusion: According to the current research, HHV-6 infection may be a major factor in MS.