Could antiretrovirals be treating EBV in MS? A case report

Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2018 May:22:19-21. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2018.02.029. Epub 2018 Feb 27.

Abstract

We present the case of an HIV-negative patient clinically diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS who achieved significant disease improvement on Combivir (zidovudine/lamivudine). Within months of treatment, the patient reported complete resolution of previously unremitting fatigue and paresthesiae, with simultaneous improvements in lesion burden detected by MRI. All improvements have been sustained for more than three years. This response may be related to the action of zidovudine as a known inhibitor of EBV lytic DNA replication, suggesting future directions for clinical investigation.

Keywords: Epstein-Barr virus; Multiple sclerosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Drug Combinations
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / complications*
  • Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / drug therapy*
  • Fatigue / drug therapy
  • Fatigue / etiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use
  • Lamivudine / therapeutic use*
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / complications*
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / diagnostic imaging
  • Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / drug therapy*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Zidovudine / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Drug Combinations
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
  • lamivudine, zidovudine drug combination
  • Lamivudine
  • Zidovudine