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Primary Epstein–Barr-Virus Infections in Acute Neurologic Diseases

List of authors.
  • Charles Grose, M.D.,
  • Werner Henle, M.D.,
  • Gertrude Henle, M.D.,
  • and Paul M. Feorino, Ph.D.

Abstract

Infectious mononucleosis has been associated with Guillain—Barré Syndrome, Bell's palsy, meningoencephalitis and transverse myelitis. Since it is now known that many children with infectious mononucleosis do not develop heterophil antibodies, we looked for evidence of current or recent Epstein-Barr Virus infection in young patients with these neurologic diseases by using serodiagnostic procedures for detection and titration of antibodies to various antigens related to Epstein-Barr virus. Seven of 24 cases with Guillain-Barré syndrome and three of 16 with facial palsy were definitely associated with primary infection with Epstein-Barr virus as were two cases each of the other two neurologic diseases. Only one of these patients had obvious clinical infectious mononucleosis, and only a few demonstrated heterophil agglutinins. It is evident that the virus must be considered in the diagnosis of various acute neurologic diseases affecting children and young adults, even in the absence of a heterophil-antibody response or other signs of infectious mononucleosis. (N Engl J Med 292:392–395, 1975)

Funding and Disclosures

Supported by a research grant (CA-04568) from and a contract (NO1-CP-33272) with the National Cancer Institute, U.S. Public Health Service (Dr. Werner Henle is the recipient of a career-development award [5–K6-AI-22–683] from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service).

We are indebted to Mrs. Marie Adams, Mrs. Elaine Sless and Mrs. Judith Valier-Shea for technical assistance.

Author Affiliations

From the departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, the Division of Virology, Joseph Stokes, Jr., Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA, and the Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA (address reprint requests to Dr. Grose at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave., Bronx, NY 10461).

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