title: Antiphospholipid antibodies during infectious mononucleosis and their long term clinical significance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) during acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection may be as high as 30-60%. The role of these autoantibodies in the development of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is not clear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence, persistence and clinical significance of aPLs in a series of patients diagnosed with acute EBV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 94 patients aged 15 or older, recently diagnosed with acute EBV was retrieved. Serum samples obtained during diagnosis were tested for the presence of aPLs and anti-β2GP antibodies. Patients with positive sera for aPLs were assessed for the persistence of aPLs and the development of APS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of aPLs among 94 patients with acute EBV was 37.2%. Five of 27 available serum samples were also positive for anti-β2 glycoprotein (anti-β2GP) antibodies. Repeat testing for aPLs after a median of 21 months post acute infection (range 13-50 months) was performed in 17 of the 35 patients with positive aPL test. All 17 patients were found negative for aPL-IgG antibodies. Two of them had positive aPL-IgM antibodies and positive anti-β2GP antibodies. None of the patients who had positive aPLs experienced any manifestations of APS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The disappearance of aPLs in the majority of the patients after acute EBV infection, along with the absence of consistent clinical findings, suggests that the detection of aPLs during acute EBV is not associated with the development APS over time.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Shaare Zedek Medical Center affiliated with the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. elibc1@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ben-Chetrit
authors.forename: Yonit
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wiener-Well
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fadeela
authors.forename: Dana G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Wolf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood*; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid