Study of Epstein-Barr virus serological profile in Egyptian patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis: A case-control study

Samir Naeim Assaad; Marwa Ahmed Meheissen; Eman Tayae Elsayed; Saher N Alnakhal; Tarek M Salem

doi:10.1016/j.jcte.2020.100222

Study of Epstein-Barr virus serological profile in Egyptian patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis: A case-control study

J Clin Transl Endocrinol. 2020 Mar 12:20:100222. doi: 10.1016/j.jcte.2020.100222. eCollection 2020 Jun.

Authors

Samir Naeim Assaad¹, Marwa Ahmed Meheissen², Eman Tayae Elsayed³, Saher N Alnakhal¹, Tarek M Salem¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt.
² Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt.
³ Department of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is now considered one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of different types of EBV antibodies in patients with HT in comparison to healthy controls, and to detect any correlation between EBV serological markers and different laboratory findings in HT patients.

Subjects & methods: This case-control study was conducted on 120 subjects divided into two groups: Sixty patients with HT (patients group), and sixty age and sex matched healthy volunteers (control group). All the participants were subjected to: Thyroid ultrasound, laboratory assessment including: Serum thyroid -stimulating hormone (TSH), free tetraiodothyronine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO Ab) and anti-thyroglobulin antibody (anti-TG Ab). Four types of EBV antibodies (VCA IgM, VCA IgG, EA IgG, and EBNA-1IgG) were measured in serum using ELISA.

Results: The mean serum levels of EBV VCA IgG and EA IgG were significantly higher in HT patients group in comparison to control group. In euthyroid HT patients, a significant positive correlation was observed between the age and EBV EA IgG. While in hypothyroid HT patients, a significant positive correlation between thyroid isthmus and EBNA-1IgG was observed. A significant negative correlation was found between the serum FT3 and EBNA-1IgG and a significant positive correlation was observed between serum TSH and EBV VCA IgG.

Conclusions: The high serum levels of EBV VCA IgG and EBV EA IgG in patients with HT suggest a possible association between EBV and HT.

Keywords: Anti TGAb, Anti- thyroglobulin antibody; Anti TPO Ab, Anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody; Autoimmune thyroid disease; EA; EBNA-1; EBNA-1 IgG, Epstein–Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA-1) IgG; EBV EA IgG, EBV early antigen (EA) IgG; EBV, Epstein–Barr virus; Epstein Barr virus; FT3, Free Triiodothyronine; FT4, Free tetraiodothyronine; HT, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis; Hashimoto’s thyroiditis; TSH, Thyroid-stimulating hormone; VCA; VCA, Viral capsid antigen.