Clinical and immunological peculiarity of acute Epstein-Barr virus infection in adults

The goal - improving the quality of the diagnosis of acute infectious mononucleosis (IM) in adults on the basis of a comparative study of cytokine status in MI, acute tonsillitis and acute viral hepatitis. Materials and methods. We observed three groups of patients hospitalized in «Specialized Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases of the Ministry of Health of the Krasnodar Territory» in 2012-2014: 29 patients with myocardial infarction (group 1), 25 - with acute tonsillitis (group 2), 19 - with acute viral hepatitis (group 3) and the control group. The groups were matched by sex, age and severity of the disease. In the acute phase of the disease the level of cytokines IL-1a, IL-1β, RaIL-1, IL-4, INF-y in serum was studied by ELISA. Results. At the height of the infectious mononucleosis increased content of IL-1a, IL-1β and INF-y was observed. In acute viral hepatitis significant increase in IL-1β, a less pronounced increase in INF-y, and no increase in IL-1a were registered. Acute tonsillitis is characterized by no increase in IL-1a and smaller increase in INF-y, compared to infectious mononucleosis. Significant difference between infectious mononucleosis and acute tonsillitis was a considerable rise of IL-1a and INF-y in first case. Acute viral hepatitis differs from infectious mononucleosis with pronounced increase in IL-1β. Conclusion. Determined significant intergroup cytokine status differences in patients with infectious mononucleosis, acute tonsillitis, and acute viral hepatitis may be helpful as additional diagnostic criteria for well examined infections in adults.

Epstein-Barr virus infection