ANALYSIS OF INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS CLINICAL CASES IN VARNA REGION (2010-2016)

Abstract

Purpose: Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is an acute and self-limiting lymphoproliferative disease, and according to literature data in 90% of cases is associated with primary Epstein-Barr (EBV) viral infection. However, the mononucleosis-like syndrome is also caused by a number of other pathogens such as HHV-6, CMV, HIV, adenoviruses, etc., which makes the laboratory diagnosis necessary to identify the etiology of the disease. We compared clinical with serological IM data and defined serological profiles requiring further laboratory investigation. Materials/ Methods: We investigated 746 patients with clinical symptoms for IM who had been tested in a virological laboratory at the „St.Marina“ University Hospital in the period 2010-2016, 57.6% (95% CI: 54.0% -61.2%, n = 430) were men. The average age of the subjects was 9.56 years (SD ± 8.26), lower in the boys. We used an indirect ELISA to detect anti-VCA IgM/IgG (Euroimmun, Germany). Conclusion: The serological markers used in our laboratories (anti-VCA IgM/IgG) in combination with symptoms and other laboratory results are in most cases sufficient to confirm primary EBV infection, but there are cases where additional studies are needed to accurately determine the stage of the infection. Serological profiles requiring ongoing studies are the isolated anti-VCA IgM and anti-VCA IgG models.

Keywords

• Infectious mononucleosis
• Epstein-Barr virus
• ELISA
• anti-VCA IgM/IgG