title: Studies on the epidemiology of child infections in the Bari area (south Italy). VII. Epidemiology of Epstein-Barr virus infections.
abstract: Serological patterns against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) specific antigens were determined in 3732 healthy babies and children aged 0-10 years living in the Bari area (South Italy). IgG antibodies against EBV capsid antigen (VCA) were found in 2713 subjects (72.7%). Seropositivity rates, high in the first semester of life (83.8%), declined between 6 and 12 months (65.6%) and even further between 1 and 2 years (43.8%). After 2 years the frequency of positive children rose progressively reaching steady levels between 5 and 7 years (80.2%) and between 8 and 10 years (81.9%). IgA antibodies against VCA, IgG anti-early viral antigen (EA) and IgG against virus-associated nuclear antigens (EBNA) were found in 17.9%, 15.9% and 25.7% of the subjects tested, respectively. IgM anti-VCA were found only in 35 (0.9%) children, but 818 (21.9%) exhibited antibody patterns suggestive of a recent infection: IgG anti-VCA > or = 1:160 alone or in association with IgA anti-VCA or IgG anti-EA or both. These results suggest that in this area the primary infection by EBV occur early in life, with immunity to EBV acquired primarily after 4 years.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Microbiologia Medica, Facoltà di Medicina dell'Università di Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leogrande
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jirillo
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007136:Immunoglobulins