PURPOSE: A patient with aggressive chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection is described whose disease activity subsided after interferon (IFN)-alpha therapy. PATIENT AND METHODS: The patient had intermittent fever, cytopenia, liver dysfunction, hepatosplenomegaly, abnormal titers of EBV-associated antibodies, and positive EBV genomes. RESULTS: Despite repeated trials of the antiviral agents prednisolone and gamma-globulin, his condition deteriorated. The administration of IFN-alpha (1 x 10(5) U/kg subcutaneously 3 times per week) led to a dramatic clinical improvement. During the IFN-alpha therapy, the rearrangement bands of T-cell antigen receptor genes disappeared assessed by Southern blotting with a decrease in the number of activated T cells, although the EBV-genome remained evident. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that IFN-alpha is useful in managing CAEBV, possibly restraining the clonal development of T-lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) and EBV-associated B-LPD, although it does not eradicate the proliferation of EBV.
PURPOSE: A patient with aggressive chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection is described whose disease activity subsided after interferon (IFN)-alpha therapy. PATIENT AND METHODS: The patient had intermittent fever, cytopenia, liver dysfunction, hepatosplenomegaly, abnormal titers of EBV-associated antibodies, and positive EBV genomes. RESULTS: Despite repeated trials of the antiviral agents prednisolone and gamma-globulin, his condition deteriorated. The administration of IFN-alpha (1 x 10(5) U/kg subcutaneously 3 times per week) led to a dramatic clinical improvement. During the IFN-alpha therapy, the rearrangement bands of T-cell antigen receptor genes disappeared assessed by Southern blotting with a decrease in the number of activated T cells, although the EBV-genome remained evident. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that IFN-alpha is useful in managing CAEBV, possibly restraining the clonal development of T-lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) and EBV-associated B-LPD, although it does not eradicate the proliferation of EBV.
Authors: Jeffrey I Cohen; Elaine S Jaffe; Janet K Dale; Stefania Pittaluga; Helen E Heslop; Cliona M Rooney; Stephen Gottschalk; Catherine M Bollard; V Koneti Rao; Adriana Marques; Peter D Burbelo; Siu-Ping Turk; Rachael Fulton; Alan S Wayne; Richard F Little; Mitchell S Cairo; Nader K El-Mallawany; Daniel Fowler; Claude Sportes; Michael R Bishop; Wyndham Wilson; Stephen E Straus Journal: Blood Date: 2011-03-31 Impact factor: 22.113
Authors: Jacek Roliński; Ewelina Grywalska; Aleksandra Pyzik; Michał Dzik; Violetta Opoka-Winiarska; Agata Surdacka; Maciej Maj; Franciszek Burdan; Michał Pirożyński; Piotr Grabarczyk; Elżbieta Starosławska Journal: BMC Infect Dis Date: 2018-04-20 Impact factor: 3.090