title: Infectious mononucleosis and mononucleosis-like illnesses in children and adults in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: The diagnosis of heterophil antibody positive, heterophil negative infectious mononucleosis and mononucleosis-like illnesses as made in 58 children and adult patients with clinical features suggestive of the mononucleosis syndrome and significant number of atypical lymphocytes. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) specific serological tests revealed that six children and 23 adults had primary heterophil positive EBV infections based on the detection of IgM to EB-viral capsid antigens (IgM-VCA), presence of IgG to DB-early antigens (EA-D) and absence of antibodies to EB-nuclear antigen (EBNA). A further nine cases (five children, four in adults) of heterophil negative EBV infectious mononucleosis were likewise detected by EBV-specific serologic tests. Fourteen cases including one in children were due to active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections as evident by positive CMV-IgM; they were all heterophil negative. Of the remaining heterophil negative cases, one was due to T. gondii with positive Toxo-IgM and five cases were of undetermined aetiology.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hossain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012529:Saudi Arabia
chemical_list: D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile