Mij
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Giant Study Reveals Why Some Viruses Hide Inside Your Body For Life
"The team found that a high viral load for EBV was a direct risk factor for developing Hodgkin's lymphoma later in life.
However, the same relationship was not found between EBV and multiple sclerosis (MS), even though EBV is a known trigger for MS.
That's an interesting finding because it suggests the link between MS and EBV depends on how the immune system responds to the virus, rather than the amount of virus present.
"This finding is an example of why virus research in large genetic biobanks is important," says Kamitaki.
As for EBV and Hodgkin's lymphoma, the association with high viral loads suggests antivirals could potentially reduce the risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma – although that idea still needs to be tested.
Non-genetic factors were associated with viral DNA load too, including age, sex, and whether or not someone smoked. Most viruses were more prevalent in men compared to women.
Researchers can build on these findings to further study how one person's risk of disease can differ from another's – even though they might have the same viruses lurking in their bodies."
Study
"The team found that a high viral load for EBV was a direct risk factor for developing Hodgkin's lymphoma later in life.
However, the same relationship was not found between EBV and multiple sclerosis (MS), even though EBV is a known trigger for MS.
That's an interesting finding because it suggests the link between MS and EBV depends on how the immune system responds to the virus, rather than the amount of virus present.
"This finding is an example of why virus research in large genetic biobanks is important," says Kamitaki.
As for EBV and Hodgkin's lymphoma, the association with high viral loads suggests antivirals could potentially reduce the risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma – although that idea still needs to be tested.
Non-genetic factors were associated with viral DNA load too, including age, sex, and whether or not someone smoked. Most viruses were more prevalent in men compared to women.
Researchers can build on these findings to further study how one person's risk of disease can differ from another's – even though they might have the same viruses lurking in their bodies."
Study