Clinical and laboratory characteristics of primary Epstein-Barr virus infection in children / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To understand the clinical and laboratory characteristics of primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in children.Methods:Totally 210 cases with primary EBV infection from September 2016 to March 2017 in Department of Infectious Diseases, Children′s Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai were retrospectively collected. The clinical information (fever, rash, etc), and laboratory data such as liver function, EBV test (serological test, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-DNA) were analyzed.Results:The age of children with primary EBV infection was (4.2±2.4) years. Numbers of patients with fever, tonsil and/or pharynx exudation, cervical lymphadenopathy, eyelid edema and rash were 187 (89.0%), 130 (61.9%), 204 (97.1%), 95 (45.2%) and 21 (10.0%), respectively. A total of 120 cases (57.1%) presented with typical triplets of infectious mononucleosis. Absolute lymphocyte count ≥5.0×10 9/L was found in 177 cases (84.3%), and abnormal lymphocyte ratio≥0.10 was found in 184 cases (87.6%). Elevated transaminase level was found in 96 cases (45.6%), and 72 cases were followed until transaminase level back to normal, in whom 97.2% (70/72) patient returned to normal within six weeks. Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen (EBV-VCA)-IgM was positive in 192 cases (91.4%). EBV-VCA-IgG and Epstein-Barr viral early antigen (EBV-EA)-IgG positive were presented in 182 cases (86.7%) and 62 cases (29.5%), respectively. Epstein-Barr viral nuclear antigen (EBV-NA)-IgG was negative in all cases. EBV DNA test was carried in 199 cases, of which 122 cases (61.3%) were positive. Conclusions:Pediatric primary EBV infection mainly occurs in preschoolers. Most patients are presented with enlarged cervical lymph nodes, fever, and positive EBV serological markers. Transient transaminase elevation is observed in some cases.