Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 7, 2026

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
08:44

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis

Published on: September 7, 2022

3.0K

Association between Epstein-Barr viral load and duration of hospitalization in pediatric infectious mononucleosis: a

Zhi Yang1, Zongtao Ma2, Qingfeng Fang1

  • 1Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, China.

Frontiers in Medicine
|April 6, 2026
PubMed

Insights

High Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load in children indicates more severe illness, including liver injury and complications, leading to longer hospital stays. Monitoring EBV viral load can help identify at-risk children early.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Virology
  • Clinical Medicine

Background:

  • Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection presents diverse clinical outcomes in children, from mild to severe. The impact of EBV DNA load on disease severity and progression is not fully understood.
  • Understanding EBV's clinical heterogeneity is crucial for effective pediatric management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the correlation between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load and clinical features, treatment outcomes, and prognosis in pediatric patients.
  • To assess the role of EBV viral load in disease severity and hospitalization duration.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 192 children with EBV infection was analyzed, stratified into high (n=99) and low (n=93) EBV DNA load groups.
  • Clinical data, treatment, viral dynamics, complications, and hospitalization length were compared between groups.
  • Multivariate Cox regression identified factors influencing hospitalization duration.

Main Results:

  • The high EBV DNA load group showed significantly higher peak ALT, AST, and atypical lymphocytes, with more frequent glucocorticoid use and prolonged hospitalization (p<0.001).
  • Higher incidence of overall complications (p<0.001) and splenomegaly (p=0.001) were observed in the high viral load group.
  • High viral load (HR=0.528) and splenomegaly (HR=0.665) independently predicted longer hospital stays.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated EBV DNA load in children is linked to severe hepatic injury, increased complications, and extended hospitalization.
  • Viral load monitoring is valuable for early risk stratification and predicting unfavorable outcomes in pediatric EBV infections.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cox regression analysisEpstein–Barr viruschildrenclinical outcomelength of stayviral load

More Related Videos

An Efficient and Simple Method to Establish NK and T Cell Lines from Patients with Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus Infection09:43

An Efficient and Simple Method to Establish NK and T Cell Lines from Patients with Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus Infection

Published on: March 30, 2018

9.8K
Isolation and Quantification of Epstein-Barr Virus from the P3HR1 Cell Line09:14

Isolation and Quantification of Epstein-Barr Virus from the P3HR1 Cell Line

Published on: September 28, 2022

4.8K

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
378
Viral Meningitis01:18

Viral Meningitis

Viral meningitis is the most common form of meningitis and is often referred to as aseptic meningitis to indicate the absence of bacterial involvement. It is generally milder than bacterial meningitis, with symptoms including fever, headache, stiff neck, drowsiness, nausea, photophobia, and vomiting. Rarely, more severe manifestations or death may occur. Common causative agents include enteroviruses, particularly coxsackie A and B viruses and echoviruses, all members of the Enterovirus genus...
115
Cytomegalovirus Disease01:27

Cytomegalovirus Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
30
Stages of Infection01:26

Stages of Infection

Stages of infection describe what happens to a susceptible host once a pathogen invades the human body. The stages of infection are incubation, prodromal, illness, stage of decline, and convalescence. The incubation stage is the period from exposure to a pathogen until symptoms start. The infected person is unaware of impending illness as the pathogens grow and multiply within the body. The duration may vary depending on the type of infection. The incubation period of measles averages ten to...
66.8K