Faten Nefzi

Université de Monastir, Monastir, Gouvernorat de Monastir, Tunisia

Are you Faten Nefzi?

Claim your profile

Publications (4)4.62 Total impact

  • Source
    Article: Prevalence of human herpesvirus U94/REP antibodies and DNA in Tunisian multiple sclerosis patients
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) has been linked to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Based on antibody detection and quantitative HHV-6 polymerase chain reaction assay, this study aimed to analyze the possible association between infection with HHV-6 and MS. A total of 131 serum samples were analyzed by ELISA for the presence of specific antibodies to HHV-6 latency-associated U94/REP protein: 68 serum samples from 60 MS patients (20 in relapse and 48 in remission phase) and 63 serum samples from 63 healthy controls. Real-time quantitative PCR for HHV-6 U94/ repDNAwas also performed in total blood ofMSpatients and healthy controls. The serological analysis by ELISA showed that MS patients had increased prevalence and titers of anti- U94/REP immunoglobulins in comparison with control group (seroprevalence 51.47 % versus 28.57 % and mean titer of positive samples 1:248 versus 1:110; p=0.0005), with significant difference between relapse and remission phases. HHV-6 DNAwas detected in 4 of 60 MS patients (6.66 %) and in 2 of 63 healthy controls (3.17 %), confirming previous data of prevalence obtained by qualitative nested PCR. However, viral load was higher in MS patients compared to controls, and differences were statistically significant (p=0.02). The results show that, in spite of the low presence of HHV-6 DNA in peripheral blood, MS patients have increased prevalence and titer of IgGs reacting with HHV-6 latencyassociated U94/REP protein.
    Journal of NeuroVirology 11/2012; · 2.31 Impact Factor
  • Source
    Dataset: full paper
  • Source
    Dataset: full paper
  • Source
    Article: Identification of human herpesviruses 1 to 8 in Tunisian multiple sclerosis patients and healthy blood donors.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Members of the human Herpesviridae family are candidates for representing the macroenvironmental factors associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. To verify the possible role of human herpesviruses (HHVs) as triggering or aggravating factors in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis clinical outcome, we studied the prevalence of all eight human herpesviruses in whole blood samples collected from 51 MS patients and from 51 healthy controls. The presence of DNA of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), varicella zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) was searched by specific nested polymerase chain reaction. HHVs were significantly more prevalent in the blood of MS patients than in those of the controls (P < 10(-4)). HSV-1, HSV-2, HCMV and HHV-8 were negative in both MS patients and controls samples. In MS patients, EBV, HHV-7, HHV-6 and VZV were detected in 31.3%, 33.3%, 5.8% and 7.8% of samples, respectively, compared with 3.9%, 9.8%, 1.96% and 1.96%, respectively, of samples from controls. We found a statistically significant difference only for EBV DNA and for HHV-7 DNA prevalence (P < 0.001 and P = 0.03). Although these results indicate lack of apparent association in terms of gender, type of diagnosis, symptoms, disease score and β interferon treatment between EBV or HHV-7 to MS among Tunisian patients, heterogeneity related to genetic polymorphism as well as geographical distribution of the disease and of pathogens may be of significance.
    Journal of NeuroVirology 11/2011; 18(1):12-9. · 2.31 Impact Factor