Prevalence of Anti-JC virus (JCV) antibody sera positivity in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The John Cunningham virus (JCV) is the causative agent of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy(PML).Anti-JC virus (JCV) antibody sera positivity is an important consideration in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The reported prevalence of JCV in MS patients has been conflicting. Objective: We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the pooled prevalence of Anti-JC virus (JCV) antibody sera positivity in cases with MS.Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Ovid, ProQuest, google scholar and gray literature including reference of included studies, and conference abstracts which were published up to April 2019. Two independent researchers independently assessed the articles.Results:The literature search found 181 articles. After eliminating duplicates, reviews, case reports and trials, 15 articles remained. Finally, 8 articles were included for the final analysis (from Asia, Europe, USA, and Canada). In total, 16041 MS cases were analyzed. The prevalence of Anti-JC virus (JCV) antibody ser0positivity variedbetween 40% to 80% and the pooled estimate was calculated as 60% (95% CI:56%-64%), though with significant heterogeneity (I2=95%, P-0.01). Conclusion: The prevalence of Anti-JC virus (JCV) antibody sera positivity is variable among MS patients in different countries and the pooled estimate showed that this is 60% overall.

Keywords:

Multiple sclerosis ,