Abstract Details

Title Serum Anti-JCV Antibody Status in Western Australian Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Topic Multiple Sclerosis

Presentation(s) P3 - Poster Session 3 (5:30 PM-6:30 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 15-076

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-JCV antibody status and index among Western Australian MS patients before and during treatment with natalizumab.

Background

Billions of people worldwide are infected with JCV, what makes this virus one of the most successful human viruses. JCV can on rare occasions become a merciless killer that targets the human central nervous system with lytic infection of glial cells, causing a rapidly fatal demyelinating disease called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).The presence of anti-JCV antibodies is one of the risk factors for the development of PML among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with natalizumab or other disease modifying therapies (DMTs).

Design/Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study in 221 Western Australian MS patients to evaluate their JCV status using the STRATIFY JCV^TMTest, a two-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; Unilabs, Copenhagen, Denmark). Associations with demographic and clinical characteristics were also investigated.

Results From a total of 221 patients included, 49% (n=108) were seropositive for anti-JCV antibodies, among which 53% (n=57) had an anti-JCV index ≥1.5. Among 221 subjects analysed, 111 (50%) underwent repeated testing and within this group 15 (14%) seroconverted. All patients had relapsing-remitting disease course. Patients with JCV positive serostatus were of older age (42 vs 40 years), however this difference was not statistically significant. From the total Western Australian MS population investigated 47% of females and 54% of males were anti-JCV antibody seropositive.

Conclusions

Anti-JCV antibody prevalence in our population is lower than in other reported cohorts, however over 50% of JCV seropositive patients had high JCV antibody index.

Authors/Disclosures
Marzena Pedrini, PhD (Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science) PRESENTER	Dr. Pedrini has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Allan G. Kermode, MD, MBBS, FRACP (SJOG Clinic, Suite 314)	Dr. Kermode has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Biogen. Dr. Kermode has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Roche.

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