Epstein-Barr virus infection status among first year undergraduate university students

Epidemiological characteristics of Epstein-Barr virus infection in children and distribution of disease spectrum in hospitalized patients in shandong province

This study aims to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in children and the distribution of disease spectrum in hospitalized patients in Shandong Province. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children with EBV infection admitted to hospitals in Shandong Province from January 2022 to December 2022. The epidemiological characteristics, including age, gender, and clinical manifestations, were analyzed. The detection rate of EBV antibodies and the seropositivity rates of different antibodies were also examined. A total of 7124 children with EBV infection were included in this study, with an average age of 7.5 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.43:1. Among the patients, the positive detection rate of EBV antibodies was 78.40%. The seropositivity rate of Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen-Immunoglobin G antibodies was 57.09%. The highest incidence of EBV infection was observed in the age group 36-72 months. The urban positive rate was higher than that in rural areas. EBV infection in children in Shandong Province exhibits specific epidemiological characteristics, with a higher incidence in the age group of 36-72 months. Fever, sore throat, and fatigue are the main clinical manifestations. The detection rate of EBV antibodies is relatively high among hospitalized patients. These findings provide valuable information for controlling the transmission of children with suspected Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Prevalence of transfusion-transmitted infections in hospitalized patients before transfusion and volunteer blood donors in Zhejiang Province, China

OBJECTIVES

To assess the need for screening of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) in blood products, we assessed TTI seroprevalence in blood donors and hospitalized patients.

METHODS

We collected 2760 serum samples from three regions of Hangzhou, Ningbo and Huzhou from April 2021 to March 2022, and they tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Hepatitis C (HCV), Treponema pallidum (TP), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Hepatitis E virus (HEV) and Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1/2 (HTLV-1/2) antibody levels.

RESULTS

Screening test results showed that the positive rates for HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-TP were 3.01 %, 0.39 % and 0.18 %, respectively. The positive rates for CMV IgM and CMV IgG were 0.76 % and 96.96 %, while the positive rates for EB VCA-IgM and EB EA-IgG were 1.88 % and 10.47 %; those for HEV IgM and HEV IgG were 1.16 % and 26.05 %, while the HTLV-1/2 antibody positive rate was 0.04 %. The positive rates for CMV IgG, EB EA-IgG and HEV IgG in hospitalized patients before transfusion were higher than in volunteer blood donors, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The overall co-infection rate was 0.29 %. The positive rates for EB VCA-IgM in the males were significantly higher than in females, and EB VCA-IgM and HEV IgG prevalence varied significantly by age.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrate the risk of TTI exposure and TTI transmission in the Zhejiang population, which poses a threat to blood safety. It is hoped that expansion of pathogen categories (CMV, EBV, HEV and HTLV-1/2) and blood screening programs will contribute to the future adoption of scientific blood transfusion methods.

Aging in multiple sclerosis: from childhood to old age, etiopathogenesis, and unmet needs: a narrative review

Multiple sclerosis (MS) primarily affects adult females. However, in the last decades, rising incidence and prevalence have been observed for demographic extremes, such as pediatric-onset MS (POMS; occurring before 18 years of age) and late-onset MS (corresponding to an onset above 50 years). These categories show peculiar clinical-pathogenetic characteristics, aging processes and disease courses, therapeutic options, and unmet needs. Nonetheless, several open questions are still pending. POMS patients display an important contribution of multiple genetic and environmental factors such as EBV, while in LOMS, hormonal changes and pollution may represent disease triggers. In both categories, immunosenescence emerges as a pathogenic driver of the disease, particularly for LOMS. In both populations, patient and caregiver engagement are essential from the diagnosis communication to early treatment of disease-modifying therapy (DMTs), which in the elderly population appears more complex and less proven in terms of efficacy and safety. Digital technologies (e.g., exergames and e-training) have recently emerged with promising results, particularly in treating and following motor and cognitive deficits. However, this offer seems more feasible for POMS, being LOMS less familiar with digital technology. In this narrative review, we discuss how the aging process influences the pathogenesis, disease course, and therapeutic options of both POMS and LOMS. Finally, we evaluate the impact of new digital communication tools, which greatly interest the current and future management of POMS and LOMS patients.

Declining Epstein-Barr Virus Antibody Prevalence in College Freshmen Strengthens the Rationale for a Prophylactic EBV Vaccine

Background: To better understand the epidemiology of primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and to identify EBV-naïve candidates eligible to receive a prophylactic EBV vaccine, we screened freshmen from the University of Minnesota Class of 2025 for circulating EBV antibody, which is indicative of previous infection. This permitted us to compare their EBV antibody prevalence with that of 4 other freshman classes (Classes of 2010, 2011, 2016, 2021) that have been previously published. Methods: Freshman students were recruited during screening sessions in the residence halls. Venous blood was collected and the serum fraction tested for IgG antibody against EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA IgG) using commercial enzyme immunoassays. Results: All classes combined, 1196 participants were tested (female, 677; male, 513; did not identify gender, 6) who were 18–23 years old (median, 18; mean, 18.37). The EBV VCA IgG antibody prevalence was 58% (689/1196) and was higher in women than men. The EBV antibody prevalence of 64% (170/267) in the 2010 freshman class versus 52% (78/150) in the Class of 2025 was statistically significantly different (p = 0.0223, Fisher exact test).” Conclusions: Sufficient participants are available for a prophylactic vaccine trial. Antibody prevalence decreased over 15 years from 64% to 52%. If this trend continues, the number of EBV-naïve adolescents and young adults who are in the age group most susceptible to infectious mononucleosis will increase, strengthening the rationale to develop an effective prophylactic EBV vaccine.

Epstein-Barr Virus and Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurologic disease affecting myelinated nerves in the central nervous system (CNS). The disease often debuts as a clinically isolated syndrome, e.g., optic neuritis (ON), which later develops into relapsing-remitting (RR) MS, with temporal attacks or primary progressive (PP) MS. Characteristic features of MS are inflammatory foci in the CNS and intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulins (Igs), measured as an IgG index, oligoclonal bands (OCBs), or specific antibody indexes. Major predisposing factors for MS are certain tissue types (e.g., HLA DRB1*15:01), vitamin D deficiency, smoking, obesity, and infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Many of the clinical signs of MS described above can be explained by chronic/recurrent EBV infection and current models of EBV involvement suggest that RRMS may be caused by repeated entry of EBV-transformed B cells to the CNS in connection with attacks, while PPMS may be caused by more chronic activity of EBV-transformed B cells in the CNS. In line with the model of EBV's role in MS, new treatments based on monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) targeting B cells have shown good efficacy in clinical trials both for RRMS and PPMS, while MAbs inhibiting B cell mobilization and entry to the CNS have shown efficacy in RRMS. Thus, these agents, which are now first line therapy in many patients, may be hypothesized to function by counteracting a chronic EBV infection.