[Determination of plasma EBV DNA in 91 children with EBV-associated diseases].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the plasma level of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) DNA in children with EBV associated diseases, and to investigate the dynamic changes of EBV DNA level after initial infection as well as the relationship between EBV DNA level and the diseases severity.


METHODS
The subjects consisted of 73 children with primary EBV infection (infectious mononucleosis, pneumonia,etc.) and 18 children with severe EBV-associated diseases (chronic active EBV infection, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, etc.). The plasma EBV DNA level was detected by a real-time PCR assay.


RESULTS
The plasma EBV DNA level decreased with the infection time in children with primary EBV infection. Two weeks after infection, plasma EBV DNA was almost undetectable. The positive rate of plasma EBV DNA in children with severe EBV associated diseases increased significantly when compared with that in children with primary EBV infection (89% vs 16%; p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The level of EBV replication may be reduced with the infection time. Dynamic determination of blood EBV DNA is useful for the evaluation of disease severity in children with EBV infection.
Duan
Hong-Mei
HM
College of Nursing, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100102, China.
Yao
Yao
Y
Xie
Zheng-De
ZD
Yan
Jing
J
Hu
Ying-Hui
YH
Yao
Yuan
Y
Zhou
Ling
L
Shen
Kun-Ling
KL
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000821:virology; D051359:Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic / Q000821:virology; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral