Latent associated nuclear antigen

There has been considerable interest in the role of Epstein-Barr virus in the etiology of several autoimmune diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis. Epstein-Barr virus is a common infection. Most people (90% or more) are infected, without symptoms or with only mild, nonspecific symptoms, during childhood. When people are exposed as teenagers or as adults, however, infection may result in mononucleosis. Of importance with respect to autoimmune diseases, Epstein-Barr virus infects B cells and results in a latent infection. A close similarity between a peptide sequence in the Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen-1 and a sequence in the Sm autoantigen, one of the autoantibodies seen in systemic lupus erythematosus, has been reported (Sabbatini et al., 1993). In addition, several epidemiological studies have demonstrated strong associations between exposure to Epstein-Barr virus, as demonstrated by virus-specific IgG or IgA antibodies, and risk of systemic lupus erythematosus in children (James et al., 1997) and adults (James et al., 2001 Parks et al., 2005). 

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