Epstein‐Barr Virus Infection and Serological Profile in Greenland Eskimo Children

ABSTRACT. The Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐specific antibody profile of 101 Greenland Eskimo children was determined. The proportion of children with serological evidence of recent or past primary EBV infections rose from 22 % at 6 months of age to 79 % at 24 months of age. All but 2 of 49 children more...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta Paediatrica
Main Authors: ALBECK, H., BILLE, T., FENGER, H. J., NARVESTAD, U., SØRENSEN, G. S., HENLE, G., HENLE, W., NIELSEN, N. HØJGAARD, HANSEN, J. P. HART
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1985
Subjects:
General Medicine
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Greenland
eskimo*
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.1985.tb10015.x
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1651-2227.1985.tb10015.x
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1651-2227.1985.tb10015.x
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Summary:ABSTRACT. The Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐specific antibody profile of 101 Greenland Eskimo children was determined. The proportion of children with serological evidence of recent or past primary EBV infections rose from 22 % at 6 months of age to 79 % at 24 months of age. All but 2 of 49 children more than 4 years of age proved seropositive. The geometric mean titre (GMT) of antibodies to the viral capsid antigen (VCA) was highest during the first 3 years of life and declined sharply to a lower, nearly constant level in older children. The GMT of antibodies to the nuclear antigen (EBNA), rose slowly during the first 4 years of life to its persistent level. None of the children had a history of illnesses comparable to infectious mononucleosis. The results have shown that in this population with an enhanced risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, primary EBV infection occurs at a very early age.

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