Gene expression analyses of EBV-immortalized B cells from patients with MS and controls

The immunopathogenic occurrence of multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be triggered by en-vironmental factors in individuals with an unfavorable genetic predisposition. There is striking evidence, that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is a major risk factor in later development of MS. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) are suggested to be the missing link in the de-layed development of MS as they can be transactivated by EBV. In the present study, we have investigated differential gene expression pattern in MS and controls after latent EBV-infection of B cells in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL).