Determination of Epstein-Barr virus DNA and Its Association in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis) Using PCR, and IgM Antibodies

Authors
M. Meghdadian 1
A. Absalan 2
1 Department of Biochemistry, Islamic Azad University, Damghan Branch, Damghan, Iran
2 Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: This study investigated the association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 90 participants in three (CD, UC, control) groups, with 30 individuals in each group. Serum samples were analyzed for EBV-IgM antibodies using immunoassay and for EBV-DNA via TaqMan-PCR. Statistical methods included one-way analysis of variances (ANOVA), independent-samples Kruskal-Wallis tests, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to assess potential risk factors.

Results: IBD patients exhibited significantly lower EBV-IgM levels than controls (p < 0.05). ROC analysis revealed: CD vs. controls: AUC = 0.707 (p= 0.004), cutoff ≤4.58 (sensitivity: 83.33%; specificity: 60%); UC vs. controls: AUC = 0.646 (p= 0.042), cutoff ≤7.5 (sensitivity: 100%; specificity: 40%). EBV-DNA was detected in only 3 CD patients (5.4% male, 4.3% female). EBV-IgM served as a negative predictor for IBD, while PCR provided no additional diagnostic value over serology. Advanced age was a significant risk factor for IBD (OR: 1.0812; p< 0.0001), whereas, increased EBV-IgM serum level is protective against IBD involvement (OR: 0.7739; p= 0.002).

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that advanced age constitutes a significant risk factor for IBD. The observed reduction in EBV-IgM levels among IBD patients suggests an impaired acute-phase immune response to EBV infection. However, to establish a definitive association between EBV and IBD, we recommend conducting comprehensive epidemiological studies in Iranian CD and UC populations to better characterize EBV infection status in these patient groups.

Keywords

Subjects

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Pathobiology Reserach
Volume 28, Issue 3
May 2025
Pages 75-84