Get tested for Epstein Barra. Symptoms, treatment, danger of Epstein-Barr virus infection
Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is one of the representatives of the family of herpes infections. Its symptoms, treatment and causes in adults and children are also similar to cytomegalovirus (herpes according to No. 6). EBV itself is called herpes number 4. In the human body, it can be stored for years in a dormant form, but when immunity decreases, it is activated, causes acute infectious mononucleosis and later - the formation of carcinomas (tumors). How else does the Epstein Barr virus manifest itself, how is it transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person, and how to treat the Epstein Barr virus?
What is the Epstein Barr virus?
The virus received its name in honor of the researchers - professor and virologist Michael Epstein and his graduate student Iwona Barr.
Einstein bar virus has two important differences from other herpes infections:
- It does not cause the death of host cells, but on the contrary, it initiates their division and tissue proliferation. This is how tumors (neoplasms) form. In medicine, this process is called proliferation - pathological proliferation.
- It is not stored in the ganglia of the spinal cord, but inside immune cells - in some types of lymphocytes (without their destruction).
The Epstein Barr virus is highly mutagenic. With the secondary manifestation of infection, it often does not respond to the antibodies produced earlier at the first meeting.
Manifestations of the virus: inflammation and tumors
Acute Epstein Barr disease manifests itself like flu, cold, inflammation. Long-term, low-grade inflammation initiates chronic fatigue syndrome and tumor growth. At the same time, different continents have their own characteristics of the course of inflammation and the localization of tumor processes.
In the Chinese population, the virus more often forms nasopharyngeal cancer. For the African continent - cancer of the upper jaw, ovaries and kidneys. For residents of Europe and America, acute manifestations of infection are more typical - high temperature (up to 40º for 2-3 or 4 weeks), enlarged liver and spleen.
Epstein Barr virus: how is it transmitted
Epstein bar virus is the least studied herpes infection. However, it is known that the routes of its transmission are varied and extensive:
- airborne;
- contact;
- sexual;
- placental.
People in the acute stage of the disease become a source of infection through the air(those who cough, sneeze, blow their nose - that is, they deliver the virus into the surrounding space along with saliva and mucus from the nasopharynx). During the period of acute illness, the predominant method of infection is airborne droplets.
After recovery(decrease in temperature and other symptoms of ARVI) the infection is transmitted by contact(with kisses, handshakes, shared dishes, during sex). EBV resides in the lymph and salivary glands for a long time. A person can easily transmit the virus through contact during the first 1.5 years after the disease. Over time, the likelihood of transmitting the virus decreases. However, research confirms that 30% of people have the virus in their salivary glands for the rest of their lives. In the other 70%, the body suppresses a foreign infection, while the virus is not detected in saliva or mucus, but is stored dormant in the beta lymphocytes of the blood.
If there is a virus in a person’s blood ( virus carriers) it can be transmitted from mother to child through the placenta. In the same way, the virus is spread through blood transfusions.
What happens when infected
The Epstein-Barr virus enters the body through the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, mouth or respiratory organs. Through the mucous layer, it descends into the lymphoid tissue, penetrates beta lymphocytes, and enters the human blood.
Note: the effect of the virus in the body is twofold. Some of the infected cells die. The other part begins to divide. At the same time, different processes predominate in the acute and chronic stages (carriage).
During acute infection, the infected cells die. In case of chronic carriage, the process of cell division with the development of tumors is initiated (however, such a reaction is possible with weakened immunity, but if the protective cells are sufficiently active, tumor growth does not occur).
The initial penetration of the virus often occurs asymptomatically. Epstein Barr virus infection in children manifests itself with visible symptoms only in 8-10% of cases. Less commonly, signs of a general disease develop (5-15 days after infection). The presence of an acute reaction to infection indicates low immunity, as well as the presence of various factors that reduce the body's protective reactions.
Epstein Barr virus: symptoms, treatment
Acute infection by a virus or its activation with decreased immunity is difficult to distinguish from a cold, acute respiratory infection or acute respiratory viral infection. The symptoms of Epstein bar are called infectious mononucleosis. This is a common group of symptoms that accompany a number of infections. Based on their presence, it is impossible to accurately diagnose the type of disease; one can only suspect the presence of an infection.
In addition to the signs of a common acute respiratory infection, Symptoms of hepatitis, sore throat, and rash may occur. The manifestations of the rash increase when the virus is treated with penicillin antibiotics (such erroneous treatment is often prescribed due to incorrect diagnosis, if instead of a diagnosis of EBV, a person is diagnosed with tonsillitis or acute respiratory infections). Epstein-Barr is a viral infection in children and adults, Treatment of viruses with antibiotics is ineffective and fraught with complications.
Epstein Barr infection symptoms
In the 19th century, this disease was called an unusual fever, in which the liver and lymph nodes become enlarged and the throat hurts. At the end of the 21st century, it received its own name - Epstein-Barr infectious mononucleosis or Epstein-Barr syndrome.
Signs of acute mononucleosis:
- Symptoms of acute respiratory infections- feeling unwell, fever, runny nose, enlarged lymph nodes.
- Symptoms of hepatitis: enlarged liver and spleen, pain in the left hypochondrium (due to an enlarged spleen), jaundice.
- Symptoms of a sore throat: soreness and redness of the throat, enlarged cervical lymph nodes.
- Signs of general intoxication: weakness, sweating, soreness in muscles and joints.
- Symptoms of inflammation of the respiratory organs: difficulty breathing, cough.
- Signs of damage to the central nervous system: headache and dizziness, depression, sleep disturbances, attention, memory.
Signs of chronic virus carriage:
- Chronic fatigue syndrome, anemia.
- Frequent recurrences of various infections- bacterial, viral, fungal. Frequent respiratory infections, digestive problems, boils, rashes.
- Autoimmune diseases- rheumatoid arthritis (joint pain), lupus erythematosus (redness and rashes on the skin), Sjogren's syndrome (inflammation of the salivary and lacrimal glands).
- Oncology(tumors).
Against the background of a sluggish infection with the Epstein Barr virus, a person often develops other types of herpes or bacterial infections. The disease becomes widespread and is difficult to diagnose and treat. Therefore, the Einstein virus often occurs under the guise of other infectious chronic diseases with wave-like manifestations - periodic exacerbations and stages of remission.
Virus carriage: chronic infection
All types of herpes viruses reside in the human body for life. Infection often occurs asymptomatically. After the initial infection, the virus remains in the body for the rest of life.(stored in beta lymphocytes). In this case, a person often does not realize that he is a carrier.
The activity of the virus is controlled by antibodies produced by the immune system. Without the opportunity to multiply and manifest itself actively, the Epstein-Barr infection sleeps as long as the immune system functions normally.
EBV activation occurs with a significant weakening of protective reactions. The reasons for this weakening may be chronic poisoning (alcoholism, industrial emissions, agricultural herbicides), vaccination, chemotherapy and radiation, tissue or organ transplantation, other operations, long-term stress. After activation, the virus spreads from lymphocytes to the mucous surfaces of hollow organs (nasopharynx, vagina, ureteral canals), from where it reaches other people and causes infection.
Medical fact: Herpes viruses are found in at least 80% of people examined. Bar infection is present in the body of the majority of the adult population of the planet.
Epstein Barr: diagnosis
Symptoms of Epstein Barr virus are similar to signs of infection cytomegalovirus(also herpetic infection No. 6, which manifests itself as a long-term acute respiratory infection). It is possible to distinguish the type of herpes and name the exact causative virus only after laboratory tests of blood, urine, and saliva.
Testing for Epstein Barr virus includes several laboratory tests:
- Blood is tested for Epstein Barr virus. This method is called ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) determines the presence and amount of antibodies to infection. In this case, primary antibodies of type M and secondary antibodies of type G may be present in the blood. Immunoglobulins M are formed during the first interaction of the body with an infection or when it is activated from a dormant state. Immunoglobulins G are formed to control the virus during chronic carriage. The type and quantity of immunoglobulins allows us to judge the primacy of the infection and its duration (a high titer of G bodies is diagnosed with a recent infection).
- Saliva or other biological fluid of the body (mucus from the nasopharynx, discharge from the genitals) is examined. This examination is called PCR, it is aimed at detecting viral DNA in liquid samples. The PCR method is used to detect various types of herpes viruses. However, when diagnosing the Epstein Barr virus, this method shows low sensitivity - only 70%, in contrast to the sensitivity of detecting herpes types 1, 2 and 3 - 90%. This is explained by the fact that the bara virus is not always present in biological fluids (even when infected). Since the PCR method does not provide reliable results for the presence or absence of infection, it is used as a confirmation test. Epstein-Barr in saliva - says that there is a virus. But it does not show when the infection occurred, and whether the inflammatory process is associated with the presence of the virus.
Epstein Barr virus in children: symptoms, features
Epstein-Barr virus in a child with normal (average) immunity may not cause painful symptoms. Therefore, infection of children of preschool and primary school age with the virus often occurs unnoticed, without inflammation, fever or other signs of illness.
Epstein-Barr virus often causes a painful infection in adolescent children- mononucleosis (fever, enlarged lymph nodes and spleen, sore throat). This is due to a lower protective reaction (the reason for the deterioration of immunity is hormonal changes).
Epstein-Barr disease in children has the following features:
- The incubation period of the disease is reduced - from 40-50 days it is reduced to 10-20 days after the virus penetrates the mucous membranes of the mouth and nasopharynx.
- Recovery time is determined by the state of immunity. A child’s defensive reactions often work better than an adult’s (as evidenced by bad habits and a sedentary lifestyle). Therefore, children recover faster.
How to treat Epstein-Barr in children? Does treatment depend on the person's age?
Epstein Barr virus in children: treatment of acute infection
Since EBV is the least studied virus, its treatment is also under research. For children, only those drugs are prescribed that have passed the stage of long-term testing with identification of all side effects. There are currently no antiviral drugs for EBV that are recommended for the treatment of children of any age. Therefore, pediatric treatment begins with general supportive therapy, and only in cases of urgent need (threat to the child’s life) are antiviral drugs used. How to treat Epstein bar virus in the stage of acute infection or when chronic carriage is detected?
In acute manifestations, the Epstein-Barr virus in a child is treated symptomatically. That is, when symptoms of sore throat appear, they gargle and treat the throat; when symptoms of hepatitis appear, medications are prescribed to support the liver. Vitamin and mineral support of the body is required, in case of long-term protracted course - immunostimulating drugs. Vaccination after suffering from mononucleosis is postponed for at least 6 months.
Chronic carriage cannot be treated unless it is accompanied by frequent manifestations of other infections and inflammations. For frequent colds, measures to strengthen the immune system are necessary.- hardening procedures, walks in the fresh air, physical education, vitamin and mineral complexes.
Epstein Barr virus: treatment with antiviral drugs
Specific treatment for the virus is prescribed when the body cannot cope with the infection on its own. How to treat Epstein bar virus? Several areas of treatment are used: counteracting the virus, supporting one’s own immunity, stimulating it and creating conditions for the full development of protective reactions. Thus, the treatment of Epstein-Barr virus uses the following groups of drugs:
- Immunostimulants and modulators based on interferon (a specific protein that is produced in the human body when a virus intervenes). Interferon-alpha, IFN-alpha, reaferon.
- Drugs containing substances that inhibit the proliferation of viruses inside cells. These are valacyclovir (Valtrex), famciclovir (Famvir), ganciclovir (Cymevene), and foscarnet. The course of treatment is 14 days, with intravenous administration of drugs recommended for the first 7 days.
Important to know: the effectiveness of acyclovir and valacyclovir against the Epstein Barr virus is under research and has not been scientifically proven. Other drugs - ganciclovir, famvir - are also relatively new and insufficiently studied; they have a wide list of side effects (anemia, disorders of the central nervous system, heart, digestion). Therefore, if Epstein-Barr virus is suspected, treatment with antiviral drugs is not always possible due to side effects and contraindications.
During treatment in hospitals, hormonal drugs are also prescribed:
- Corticosteroids are hormones that suppress inflammation (they do not act on the causative agent of infection, they only block the inflammatory process). For example, prednisolone.
- Immunoglobulins - to support immunity (administered intravenously).
- Thymic hormones - to prevent infectious complications (thymalin, thymogen).
If low titers of the Epstein Barr virus are detected, treatment can be restorative - vitamin s (as antioxidants) and drugs to reduce intoxication ( sorbents). This is maintenance therapy. It is prescribed for any infections, diseases, diagnoses, including those with a positive test for the Epstein-Barr virus. Treatment with vitamins and sorbents is allowed for all categories of sick people.
How to cure Epstein Barr virus
Medical research asks: is the Epstein-Barr virus a dangerous infection or a quiet neighbor? Is it worth fighting the virus or focusing on maintaining immunity? And how to cure Epstein Barr virus? The answers from doctors are mixed. And until a sufficiently effective cure for the virus is invented, we must rely on the body's immune response.
A person has all the necessary defense reactions against infections. To protect against foreign microorganisms, it is necessary to have good nutrition, limit toxic substances, as well as positive emotions and the absence of stress. Failure in the immune system and infection with the virus occurs when it is weakened. This becomes possible with chronic poisoning, long-term drug therapy, and after vaccination.
The best treatment for the virus is create healthy conditions for the body, cleanse it of toxins, provide adequate nutrition, give the opportunity to produce their own interferons against infection.
Hello! Our son is 5.5 years old, approximately 110 cm tall, and weighs about 18 kg. A year ago, attacks of abdominal pain began to appear. At first, the pain could begin at any time for no apparent reason, within one day, after some time, the pain began to appear against the background of an illness (ARVI) and could last for 2-3 days, the stool was regular, with pain, during while stroking the belly with your hand, you can feel the “turbulent life” there. We began to be examined; all tests and studies were carried out on a child who was sick at that time. We passed the OBC with leukoformula (everything is normal), Coprogram, I will write only deviations from the norm
Stool examinations. Physico-chemical research.
Smell - specific, Stercobilin - "+"
Microscopic examination:
Digested muscle fibers - “+-”,
Starch - "eating extracellularly"
Digestible fiber - “+-”,
Indigestible fiber - “++”,
feces on worm eggs 3 times (not detected), ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, kidneys, bladder, ultrasound - liver, bile. Bladder, pancreas The gland, spleen, everything is normal, mesenteric lymph nodes are located in the peri-umbilical region. Nodes prone to fusion, reduced echogenicity, normal size, size. Up to 14x6 mm, the dimensions of the right kidney are 72x30x28, the left - 70x33x30 (the pelvicalyceal system is dilated, they said, possibly due to a full bladder) and in the conclusion it is written - Sonographic signs of pancreatopathy, dyscholia, lymphadenopathy, pyelectasia on the left. Diet and drug treatment were recommended.
After 4 months After treatment, against the background of a new illness, abdominal pain began again. They took blood tests again (everything is normal), examined by a surgeon (everything is normal), did an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, according to ultrasound - the intestinal walls were thickened to 3.5 mm, mesenteric lymph. Multiple nodes up to 8 mm in size, normal echogenicity, homogeneous size, spleen enlarged 86x32 mm. It was recommended: diet, consultations with a hematologist and gastroenterologist, monitoring the size of the spleen.
Before the consultation with the hematologist, we took blood tests, I only write down deviations in the tests
Hemogram
Red blood cell distribution index (RDW-CV) - 14.6%, normal 11.5-14.5
Thrombocrit (PCT) - 0.07%, normal 0.17-0.35
Neutrophils (NEUT%) - 35.7%, normal 38.0-59.0
Eosinophils (EO) abs - 0.31 (10^9/l), normal 0.02-0.30
The hematologist said that she doesn’t see “her” diseases with us, the gastroenterologist said the same thing and recommended, after 3 months. Repeat an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity in a healthy child, if the spleen is enlarged, take a blood test for antibodies to toxoplasma, Epstein-Barr virus, if the tests are positive, go to an infectious disease specialist.
Thus, after 4 months, we repeated an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, according to the ultrasound (with such a sign - “ “ “ those words are highlighted that I could not read accurately, since I am not sure of the correctness of their reading, it is written in clumsy handwriting, maybe that’s it - However, specialists will understand what we are talking about) - Free fluid in the abdominal cavity “on the gastrointestinal tract” is not visualized. In the right “mesagastric” area, lymph nodes measuring up to 12x5.5 mm are visualized in a quantity of up to 8 mm with a spiral echostructure", slight signs of an increase in the size of the spleen - 85x30 mm. The rest seems to be normal, as the doctor said. On the recommendation of a gastroenterologist, they immediately decided to donate blood for antibodies. The results are as follows:
Blood test for antibodies using ELISA
Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii IgG 0.6 negative IU/ml
Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii IgM 0.26 negative S/CO
Antibodies to nuclear antigen of Epstein-Barr virus IgG (quality) 21.23 positive S/CO
Antibodies to the capsid protein of the Epstein-Barr virus IgM (quality) 0.07 negative S/CO
I would be very grateful if anyone could comment on our situation and tell us about the results of our latest tests. And also where all this could come from and how serious it all is. I look forward and grateful to any answers!
Nasopharynx and B lymphocytes. To determine this type of infection, it is necessary to conduct a series of tests and a general examination.
The source of infectious mononucleosis infection is a sick person. You can also become infected from a patient in whom the disease occurs in a latent form.
Infection occurs through airborne droplets, blood transfusions and saliva. From the moment of infection to the onset of the main symptoms, an average of one and a half months passes.
According to statistics, many are infected with EBV, but they do not show any signs of the disease. It has been proven that this type of virus is directly related to the development of certain neoplasms - lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and so on.
This virus is also the cause of infectious mononucleosis and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Infectious mononucleosis is manifested by the following symptoms:
- Sore throat;
- Enlarged spleen and liver;
- Increased temperature;
- Enlarged lymph nodes.
Chronic fatigue syndrome with a reduced immune system is manifested in turn by a noticeable decrease in performance, a constant feeling of fatigue in a previously healthy person.
However, there are clearly no other diseases or symptoms. Sometimes pharyngitis, fever up to 38 degrees, muscle and joint pain, enlarged lymph nodes, and sleep disturbances may be observed.
Why is EBV analysis necessary?
This is a fairly serious herpes infection that requires not only adequate treatment, but also diagnosis, since the manifestation of symptoms with a reduced immune system, if any, is often similar to other diseases. Tests for EBV are necessary if a woman is planning a pregnancy.
It is especially important to undergo this test if a woman has previously taken tests and they were negative, but during pregnancy they showed a positive result for the Epstein-Barr virus.
A previous disease for the fetus is not as dangerous as the first infection during the process of carrying a child in the womb. It is then that irreparable harm can be caused to the fetus, which primarily affects the development of the child in the future.
The first case of infection during pregnancy can cause irreparable harm not only to the child, but also to the pregnant woman. The course of pregnancy in such cases is quite difficult to predict, and treatment can also cause many negative reactions from the body of the mother and child.
What tests are performed?
There are a number of types of blood tests to detect Epstein-Barr virus. These analyzes are presented:
- Heterophilic test or Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for EBV to determine IgG antibodies to early hypertension (EA antigen), IgM antigen, IgG to capsid hypertension (VCA antigen) and IgG to nuclear hypertension (EBNA antigen);
- to detect viral DNA;
- Blood biochemistry;
- Serological methods for studying biomaterial;
- General blood analysis.
ELISA for the Epstein-Barr virus is a laboratory test in which, using biochemical reactions, it is possible to determine antibodies or. These are special proteins that are produced in the blood. They bind to antigens (pathogens) and neutralize them after some time.
Epstein-Barr virus has four antigens:
- Early in the cytoplasm and nucleus;
- Capsid with the EBV genome in infected cells;
- Nuclear;
- Membrane.
They determine the phase, as well as the type of disease, that is, primary infection or renewed course of the disease. This is very important for those patients who are planning to have a child.
Timely treatment will create conditions for normal pregnancy and development of the fetus inside the womb.
ELISA test
Using ELISA, IgM antibodies to the capsid VCA antigen, which are characteristic of the acute course of the disease, are determined. They appear in the early stages of the disease, and disappear after about a month and a half during a primary acute infection, as well as if the disease resumes its course again.
IgG antibodies to the VCA capsid antigen appear in the assay shortly after the first VCA IgM antibodies. In the acute stage, they manifest themselves in almost all patients.
After treatment, these antibodies remain in the human body until the end of life. If the disease resumes its course, the number of antibodies quickly and sharply increases.
IgG antibodies to early EA antigen appear in the early phase of the virus life cycle. In acute mononucleosis, IgG antibodies to the early type antigen appear already 1-2 weeks from the onset of the disease, and disappear after approximately 4 months (at least after six months). The presence of this type of antigen is characteristic of the acute phase of the infection.
IgG antibodies to nuclear EBNA antigen are an indicator indicating that the patient has previously had an infection. Antibodies of the IgG class related to the nuclear antigen (also called in medicine as IgG-EBNA antibodies) appear approximately 4-6 months from the onset of the disease, even if they occur in a latent form.
In the analysis, IgG-EBNA antibodies for the Epstein-Barr virus always appear in the later stages of the disease, during the asymptomatic nature of the disease, as well as during the resumption of the disease or chronic infection.
Deciphering the ELISA test for Epstein-Barr virus?
Quite informative. They make it possible to detect the presence of an Epstein-Barr type infection and to determine a disease that has developed under the influence of a pathogen in the patient’s body. carried out as an ELISA. The decoding is shown in the table:
When decoding, you should first of all take into account that each laboratory has its own standards and, which are indicated on the form.
If the antibody level is below the threshold value, the result is considered negative. But a value above the threshold indicates that the test resulted in a positive answer.
PCR for EBV DNA
The DNA of the virus is contained within the virus. This is the carrier of its hereditary information, and therefore it is impossible to confuse it with another type of pathogen. Therefore, PCR analysis is considered one of the most sensitive among other tests.
Samples are taken from the biomaterial for the presence of RNA and DNA of the infectious agent. To determine the Epstein-Barr virus, venous blood is taken as the basis for the study, although sometimes urine, saliva, amniotic fluid, and so on can be taken as exceptions.
Decoding this test is not particularly difficult. It usually gives either a positive or negative result. At the same time, PCR analysis can detect even small amounts of the Epstein-Barr pathogen virus, which has spread in the human body.
PCR is generally considered an additional method for diagnosing EBV. It is especially useful to carry out such a test in newborns due to the fact that their immune system is not yet fully formed, and therefore ELISA analysis is not very informative in such cases.
General blood analysis
This is the most common test for detecting not only EBV, but also other diseases. Therefore, this is the first test that is prescribed to patients suspected of having the Epstein-Barr virus.
After it is carried out, if there is a pathogen in the blood, lymphocytes are significantly increased, but hemoglobin and red blood cells, on the contrary, are decreased.
It is unlikely to show any specific data, but it will indicate the presence of infection in the body. In fact, it will indicate only indirect signs of the presence of EBV in the body. Therefore, in order to confirm a specific disease, it will be necessary to undergo other, more informative tests.
Biochemical analysis for Epstein-Barr virus
Biochemistry often shows the composition of the blood. It, like , may hint at the presence of an infection in the body. But at the same time, the type of disease, features of the course of the disease, as well as the pathogen itself can hardly be indicated.
Therefore, biochemistry is only an auxiliary test that will only clarify the overall picture and show the composition of the blood during the course of the disease.
How will EBV tests help?
These tests are initially aimed at diagnosing a number of pathologies. Among them are:
- Developmental abnormalities in newborns who received the disease at birth from their mother;
- Development of an infectious disease in patients with immune deficiency;
- Development of oncological processes in the carrier’s body;
- Development of infectious mononucleosis;
- Protection against fatigue syndrome.
Most of these diseases and pathologies lead, if not to disability, then to death. In normal cases, carriers are not in danger, but with a decrease in the immune response, as well as in the presence of other risk factors, this pathogen can significantly reduce the duration and quality of life of the patient.
The analysis is carried out if the patient has a weak immune response to infectious diseases (for example, with AIDS, after chemotherapy, etc.), enlarged lymph nodes in the back of the head, chin, under the jaw, leukopenia is observed, they have recently suffered from acute respiratory viral infections, symptoms of mononucleosis have appeared, etc. Further.
In such cases, one should not delay diagnosis and treatment in order to prevent the development of serious complications and cancer. It is also necessary to differentiate pathologies from other diseases with similar clinical manifestations.
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Tests for Epstein-Barr virus are aimed at searching and isolating the DNA of the herpes virus in the blood, as well as identifying heterophilic antibodies, the presence of which will confirm infection with a 90% probability. In cases where the disease is detected in a child, testing for viral infection is carried out on family members living with the baby. For Epstein-Barr virus, tests are the only way to detect the development of mononucleosis.
Institutes of epidemiology have identified the scale of EBV infection, and the data obtained during the study put a figure that fluctuates around 100%. This means that out of ten people on the planet, nine are carriers of altered DNA.
Barra virus, which has oncogenic properties, contains four antigens:
- nuclear;
- early;
- capsid;
- membrane
The values of antigens are not equal and a clear understanding of their properties and timing of manifestation makes it possible to establish the clinic of each individual case of detection of the virus.
Infected people rarely realize that the virus is present in their body, and at the same time they transmit it for another year and a half from the moment of infection. Like respiratory infections, EBV is airborne with droplets of mucous secretions from the nasopharynx, but since the disease is not accompanied by a cough syndrome, the range of transmission of bacteria is small.
Methods of transmission of the Epstein virus are:
- intimate contacts, kisses;
- use of common dishes, bed linen, personal hygiene items;
- during dental procedures;
- by perinatal infection;
- during surgical operations, during soft tissue transplantation, infusion of donor blood;
- through household items, toys.
EBV is a social disease, and when the virus is detected in young children under three years of age who were born healthy, this indicates poor living conditions in which the child lives. The peak of the disease occurs during puberty in adolescents and varies between 15 and 18 years, more often in young men. Activation of the virus in adults indicates a weakening of the immune defense.
Tests for Epstein-Barr virus
If the basis for research to detect the virus is not a person’s complaints of feeling unwell, then the infection is more often discovered by chance - during preparation for surgery or undergoing a medical examination. The data obtained by collecting information about the state of health speaks only about existing deviations, but only specific tests for mononucleosis can determine the type of viral infection, the level of antibodies in the blood and the stage of the disease.
Biological material is submitted for study in the morning, on an empty stomach. It is not recommended to have a heavy dinner the evening before the procedure - it is better to limit yourself to a light snack no later than 9 hours before the appointed time. 72 hours before the analysis, alcoholic beverages, energy drinks, fatty and sweet flour foods are prohibited. 24 hours before the analysis, strong tea and coffee, highly carbonated water and drinks are prohibited.
In the case of taking vital medications, complete information about them, along with the treatment regimen, is provided to the doctor who will interpret the tests. Medicines that can be discontinued should be stopped 14-12 days before the collection of the study material.
Complete blood test for Epstein Barr virus
EBV, which is in a state of activity, is detected in altered levels of the following important indicators:
- the leukocyte level is elevated, up to values greater than 9 G/l. Leukocytosis is considered the main reason for suspicion of Barr virus;
- red blood cells remain normal (in men 4-5.1 million per µl and in women 3.7-4.7 million per µl), however, with a prolonged course of infection, these elements become characterized by rapid sedimentation;
- hemoglobin drops to 90 g/l or lower, which already indicates an anemic state;
- monocytes change not only quantitatively, upward, but also in external deformation. With the typical development of the Epstein virus, up to 40% of the elements of altered monocytes are detected in the blood. But, even if the percentage is less than ten, but other signs indicating EBV are present, the diagnosis is not considered refuted.
Biochemical analysis
The analysis for biochemical research is more detailed than general and shows the presence of acute phase protein substances, alkaline phosphatase (more than 90 units/l), the amount of bilirubin, aldolase (3 times more than normal), the actual presence of AST, LDH, ALT.
Bilirubin of the indirect fraction is already an indicator of such a viral complication as autoimmune anemia.
Heterophilic test
A test that detects heterophilic antibodies with almost 100% probability indicates Epstein already a month after infection, when the presence of substances in the blood reaches its highest concentration.
If testing for heterophile antibodies was preceded by a course of antibiotics or complex antiviral drugs, you should stop taking them 14 days before the test. Also, the result is distorted if there is a history of hepatitis, leukemia, or chronic lymphoma.
Serological studies
The serological diagnostic method involves collecting biological material from the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx - the sample sample can be saliva. In rare cases, cerebrospinal fluid is taken as a sample.
Upon infection, antibodies with a characteristic-specific value are produced and mature in the patient’s blood.
- IgG to early hypertension (EA)
The presence of cells is characteristic of the acute course of virus barr, since when obvious symptoms are relieved, these elements are not detected in the body. If the transcript repeatedly notes the presence of antibodies, this indicates that the disease has entered a chronic phase, which is characterized by periods of remission and relapse.
- IgM antibodies to capsid protein (VCA)
Antibodies are characterized by early occurrence and are an indicator of the acute clinical picture of the disease. Cells of this type are found during secondary infection, and determination of the titer over a long period indicates the transition of the virus to a chronic state.
- IgG antibodies to capsid antigen (VCA)
These antibodies are observed in the blood many years after infection, and residual titers are present in the infected person until death. When introduced into the body for the first time, these elements manifest themselves immediately, but their highest activity and abundance are noted at 9-10 weeks from the moment of infection.
- IgM antibodies to early hypertension (EA)
Antigens of this type are detected in the blood long before the disease manifests itself as symptoms, but the antigens reach their highest value in the first two weeks after production. Towards the end of the first month, their values gradually decline. After 2-5 months, elements of this type eliminate themselves.
- IgG antibodies to nuclear or core Ag (EBNA)
Cells of this value reach their maximum expression later - at 5-6 weeks after infection, but titers of these elements are observed for another 2-3 years after recovery.
PCR diagnostics
Polymer chain reaction(PCR), does not identify the specific sample on which the analysis is taken. As prescribed by the doctor, an appropriate option is selected, which is most often whole blood taken into a flask with an EDTA solution (6%). The DNA of the virus found confirms the presence of EBR (Epstein-Barr virus).
In the early stages of the disease, when the virus has not yet begun to spread throughout the body, PCR does not show deviations from the norm, but this result is considered false.
The method is used in children whose immune system is not established and does not allow relying on serological examinations. When decrypting, the data obtained is differentiated for the purpose of comparison with other viruses.
Prevention
Since primary EBV infection occurs in childhood or adolescence, it is compliance with the rules of personal hygiene and culture of communication with the opposite sex that helps reduce the threat of infection.
The only effective preventive measure is to instill in a child from early childhood a set of life axioms:
- Hygienic care items and cosmetics must be individual;
- fidelity to one sexual partner is the principle of health for both;
- distance must be maintained from people who are obviously sick, with signs of respiratory or other diseases;
- You can’t ignore food and mineral supplements, natural vitamins and everything that improves immunity;
- a balanced diet, a daily routine with eight hours of sleep - this is 70% of a person’s health.
If the virus does enter the family, the patient is isolated in a separate room, the room is often ventilated and the doctor’s recommendations are followed.
The Epstein-Barr virus is in a dormant state in 90-97% (according to various sources) of people on the planet, but this does not mean that everyone will have to face severe symptoms of complications associated with the activation of altered cells. The body's immune defense constantly monitors the composition of the blood and the presence of foreign antigens in it, and in the event of harmful activity, it immediately signals a deterioration in health. Not to miss the first signs of the disease and to protect yourself and your children from provoking factors of infection is a task that every adult can do.
To understand what the term “Epstein-Barr virus igg positive” means, you need to know what doctors and laboratory workers mean by it. For example, the combination "igg" is simply a shortened and somewhat perverted spelling of IgG. And the designation IgG is adopted for immunoglobulin type G. The human body produces only five types of antibodies, which are designated IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, IgE. When they write IgG, it means that we are talking about antibodies of this type. These IgG antibodies are protein structures that are produced by immune system cells to destroy the virus.
Therefore, "igg" only means the detection of antibodies of this type to the Epstein-Barr virus. And the whole phrase “Epstein-Barr virus igg positive” means that a person has some kind of IgG antibodies to the microbe.
IgGs are produced against different parts of the virus, called antigens. For example, there are the following IgG variants for the Epstein-Barr virus:
- IgG antibodies to VCA capsid antigen (anti-IgG-VCA);
- IgG antibodies to early EA antigens (anti-IgG-EA);
- IgG antibodies to nuclear antigen EBNA (anti-IgG-NA).
A positive anti-IgG-VCA test result means that the person has been exposed to the virus and has been infected with it. It should be remembered that once the virus enters the body, it is never eliminated and remains with the person for life. In this case, the virus may not bother a person at all, being in the form of asymptomatic carriage. However, in response to the first penetration of the virus into the body, IgG-VCA antibodies are produced, which remain in the human body for the rest of one’s life and only indicate that there has been contact with the microbe in the past. In the absence of a clinical diagnosis of chronic infection, a positive test result for anti-IgG-VCA means that the person is an asymptomatic carrier of the Epstein-Barr virus.
A positive result for anti-IgG-EA indicates that a person has a chronic infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.
A positive anti-IgG-NA test means that the person was infected with the Epstein-Barr virus some time ago, but has developed immunity and is currently simply an asymptomatic carrier. The presence of IgG-NA antibodies does not indicate the presence of chronic infection.
