SERO-POSITIVITY OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS AMONG PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Objective: MS (Multiple Sclerosis) is a complicated disease of CNS. Various factors of environment as various viruses are thought to be the most important cause of MS. The purpose of this research work was to assess the sero-positivity of CMV (Cytomegalovirus) in the patients suffering from MS in comparison with their healthy controls. Methodology: This study is a case-control research work carried out in Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore. With the utilization of the method of ELISA, we detected Ig-M & Ig-G antibodies to CMV in the patients of MS as well as their gender and age matched controls. IgM titer of CMV greater than twenty five and IgG titer of CMV greater than 0.60 were considered as sero-positive in accordance with the test kit of laboratory. Results: There were total eighty two patients of MS including sixty four females and eighteen males in this research work. There were thirty eight age and sex matched controls including twenty nine females and nine males in this research work (P > 0.050). Median CMV Ig-M [IQR] titer in the group of MS was 3.25 from 2.97 to 5.10 versus 3.50 from 2.50 5.70 in the group of controls (P = 0.660); likewise, median CMV Ig-G [IQR] titer in the patients of MS group was 15.15 from 8.10 to 22.50 versus 7.75 from 5.30 to 22.0 in the group of controls (P = 0.0110). In accordance with the clinical course, median of IgG was 14.94 from 7.30 to 24.0 in RRMS & 20 from 9.80 to 22.0 in SPMS and IgM median was 4 from 2.90 to 6.50 and 3from 2.70 to 4.0 correspondingly. Conclusion: CMV sero-positivity was much high in the group of MS as compared to the group of controls, so it may perform a vital part in the pathogenesis of the MS, but there is need of further research works to consolidate the findings of this research work. KEY WORDS: CMV, MS, sero-positivity, accordance, methodology, comparison, controls, median