The Impact of Hepatitis B Virus and Epstein-Barr Virus in Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Zainab A. HamidDepartment of Microbiology, Baghdad Medical College, UOB, Baghdad, Iraq.
Corresponding Author E-mail: zainabhamid96@gmail.com
Abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) which affects the liver and the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) which consider as one of the most common viruses in humans that cause of infectious mononucleosis (glandular fever) which also associated with particular forms of cancer, those two viruses are possible etiology for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study extended from July 2016- February 2017 in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad/Iraq, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (n=100) and a control group (healthy persons, n=50), and osteoarthritis patients (n=50) were tested by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for HBs Ag, IgG anti-HBs antibodies, total anti-HBc antibodies, and IgG antibodies specific to EBV. RA patients were also tested for rheumatoid factor and C-reactive protein by latex agglutination test, total White Blood Cells (WBCs), WBCs count, and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR or Sed. Rate). The results revealed that differences in antibody titers of HBV markers (HBs Ag, IgG anti-HBs antibodies, total anti-HBc antibodies) in serum of RA group and control group were statistically not significant while the mean antibody titers of IgG antibodies for EBV in RA patients was higher than that in control group and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05) which concluded that the EBV infection might be a possible factor in pathogenesis of RA, while the role of HBV infection is not evident.
Keywords: HBV; EBV; RA; Pathogenesis; Serum Back to TOC