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The seroepidemiology of infection due to Epstein‐Barr virus in southern India
Author(s) -
Venkitaraman Ashok R.,
Lenoir Gilbert M.,
John T. Jacob
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890150103
Subject(s) - antibody , virology , antigen , virus , immunology , titer , medicine , serology , immunofluorescence , biology
Abstract We investigated the seroepidemiology of infection due to Epstein Barr virus (EBV) in 181 south Indian subjects aged 0–25 years using the indirect immunofluorescence method to titrate antibodies to viral capsid antigen (VCA), nuclear antigen (EBNA), and early antigen (EA). The age‐specific prevalence of IgG antibodies to VCA rose rapidly to 90% by the age of 5 years. The prevalence of VCA‐specific IgM and the geometric mean titre of VCA‐specific IgG antibodies were highest between the ages of 6 months and 2 years, the median age of primary infection being 1.4 years. Thus primary EBV infection occurs early in life. EA antibody prevalence was highest (55%) in the third year of life and remained between 30% and 40% thereafter. This pattern of EA antibody prevalence suggests that the latent EBV infection that persists lifelong after primary infection may be reactivated in many individuals. EBNA antibody prevalence was low until the age of 2 years but rose to 80% in the fourth year. Geometric mean titres of antibodies to EA and EBNA were low and stable at all ages. These results are similar to data from areas where EBV‐associated Burkitt's lymphoma is endemic and indicate a high EBV infection load early in life.