Myroshnykova M. Clinico-immunological diagnosis of active forms of Epstein-Barr viral infection in children with lymphoid-tissue hyperplasia and substantiation for their immunotherapy.

The infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was revealed in 89.4% of children with lymphoid-tissue hyperplasia; moreover, the active form of EBV-infection was diagnosed in 68 (47.9%) cases. It was established that EBV-infection reactivation in children developed against a background of thymomegaly and lowered serum cortisol. In children with active forms of EBV-infection, such significant changes were noted in immune status as elevated CD16+ cells and lowered CD8+ cells; elevated levels of salivary sIgA, blood B-lymphocytes and serum IgG. Immune-response impairments in children with active forms of EBV-infection were shown to be induced at the level of monocyte-macrophage line of cells, which produced IL-1 and TNF- in elevated amounts and triggered activation of mostly Tx2 (judging from IL-4 and IL-10 levels). Expediency of using immunotherapy with laferon was substantiated (within a range of 500 thousand to 1 million U) in a dose of 10 million U per course in the combination with immunoglobulins having elevated titers of antibodies against EBV in a single dose of 6.0 ml. Both clinical and immunological efficacy of the immunotherapy proposed was proved in practice.