Chronic disseminated epstein-barr virus infection and humoral immunodeficiency: Detection of viral antigen by elisa inhibition assay

Infectious mononucleosis is an acute viral illness caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).¹Although usually benign and self-limited, fatal cases of infectious mononucleosis have been described. In some instances these fatal cases have occurred sporadically. In other instances clusters of fatal cases have occurred among male members of the same kindred (the X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome). Males with this ge-netically determined disease have variable outcomes after EBV infection. These include fatal EBV infection, B cell lymphoma, acquired immunodeficiency and aplastic pancytopenia.⁵The present report concerns a 2-year-old male who had acute infectious mononucleosis and subsequently developed hypogammaglobulinemia, chronic hepatitis and chronic meningoencephalitis. A novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) inhibition assay for EBV was used to demonstrate persistent viral antigen in the liver and central nervous system.