title: [The study on subclinical Epstein-Barr virus infection of heroin addicts].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the subclinical EBV infection and related factors among heroin addicts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and twelve heroin addicts were tested for serum EBV-VCA-IgA antibody by immunoenzyme technique population, four hundred and twenty one serum specimens from general were selected as control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninty nine heroin addicts (31.51%) were found to be EBV positive. Three people from control group (0.7%) were found to be EBV positive. EBV prevalence rates were significantly different among heroin addict groups according to a group (P = 0.05), duration of addiction. However the dose and sex difference of heroin addicts was not associated with EBV infection rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high infection rate of EBV in heroin addicts might be connected with different kinds of factors, hence worthy of supervising the subclinical EBV infection of heroin addicts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Centre, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies