Virus Epstein Barr symptoms in adults treatment

A common conclusion of tests with chronic fatigue is the presence of antibodies of the Epstein-Barr. Often the detection of these antibodies incorrectly interpreted as Epstein-Barr virus infection, and sometimes even again mistaken, VEB is considered as the cause of health problems in adults and children. The word "infection" refers to a disease caused by a virus (in this case the Epstein-Barr virus). However, whether the presence of antibodies characteristic of a disease, which is called the Epstein-Barr virus? What is the Epstein-Barr what disease/syndrome it can cause? As the disease is diagnosed, what is the main symptom of the syndrome is caused by Epstein Barr virus, can it somehow be treated and whether the symptoms and treatment?

VEB, its history and classification

Epstein-Barr was discovered by English researchers Epstein and Barr (hence like the virus) in the sixties of the last century. In the human population, however, the virus Einstein-Barr is spread over a much larger time period. Modern scientists have come to the conclusion that the Bank, or its very similar predecessor, infecting people millions of years ago, and coexisted with man throughout its development.

During this long "cohabitation" of the Epstein-Barr virus with the human body, the virus is completely adapted to its host and Vice versa, a man perfectly adapted to his presence. Thus, EBV does not cause significant harm to the human body, uncontrollably spreading throughout the population (we are talking about the cosmopolitan virus is evenly distributed in all parts of the world, infecting over 95% of people during their lives). The extraordinary success in disseminating contribute to its specific characteristics, especially the ability to cause latent (latent) infection. This property has a whole group of viruses known as herpes viruses (from the Latin "herpes" = "creeping").

Such viruses as herpes, Epstein-Barr, cytomegalovirus, varicella-zoster virus are the most common, particularly herpes simplex virus 6 is roseola (sixth disease), and others.

Latent infection and reactivation

What is meant by the term "latent infection" and how it occurs? Most people Epstein infected already in early childhood. During the initial contact with the virus, it is distributed in the mucosal cells of the nasopharynx and infect a large number of white blood cells (leukocytes, i.e., cells associated with the formation of antibodies). In most of these cells EBV is no longer propagated, soon subsides, and for a long period survive in them, hidden from exposure to the immune system, which fights the spread of the virus and cell in which propagation is happening, removes.

Primary acute infection enters a latent phase that accompanies an infected person for life. For the infected leukocyte, however, a state of latent infection is not final: if such a cell enters the environment, where there is a sufficient number of signals for activation and differentiation (maturation) of cells producing antibodies, latent stage of infection can be interrupted, and the virus will start to multiply again. This allows him to leave the host cell, the duration of whose life is under threat, and infect other white blood cells, which can persist for a long period of time. This often happens when it comes to inflammation latently infected cells, which can occur due to other acute infections (e.g. influenza), or of various chronic diseases, starting with various autoimmune diseases to cancer, diabetes, etc typically, such reactivation of infection occurs in the lymph nodes of the upper respiratory tract and, consequently, VEB is often secreted in saliva or mucus, which contributes to its transmission from person to person.

Reactivation of the infection is also found in healthy people, when the characteristic of the Epstein-Barr symptoms are absent. The fact that virus reactivation propagated only locally and does not spread in the infected organism then, is a consequence of the activity of the immune system, in particular, recruitment of leukocytes, which are designed specifically to recognize cells, which began to proliferate the web, and to quickly destroy their (so-called,specific cytotoxic lymphocytes).

At latently infected people reactivation of EBV is constantly suppressed activity of the immune system (in this case, we are talking about the so-called immune surveillance). But what happens when the immune system temporarily (e.g., the flu) or chronic (e.g., in the elderly or due to taking certain types of medication) is weakened? In this case, reactivation is less controlled, the virus multiplies, and the amount of latently infected cells in the blood increases. In this situation, the immune system reacts immediately: he is trying to activate other cells that can kill infected white blood cells, produces antibodies against different viral proteins (antigens), and the whole system is then gradually reaches equilibrium.

Diseases associated with EB virus

From the above comes that the EB virus (latent infection or reactivation), by itself, does not mean disease. However, there is not a single disease caused by this virus. What about the diseases in question, and under what circumstances do they arise?

If the person is not found from the web at preschool age, but will become infected as a teenager or an adult, it can catch infectious mononucleosis.

This disease has symptoms similar to the symptoms of angina: in the acute phase in humans, enlarged lymph nodes, manifested by malaise, fatigue, pain in muscles and joints, nausea and fever. Characteristic is the enlargement of the spleen and liver. In the image of the blood there is an increased number of leukocytes and appear atypical forms of white blood cells. Infectious mononucleosis is often accompanied by elevated tests of liver function.

In this case the treatment of the virus Epstein-Barr with antibiotics is not showing effectiveness, the symptoms do not subside, there may be allergic reactions. The acute phase of illness lasts for 7-10 days, then subsides.

The reason why there is this painful syndrome is a more violent reaction at the first contact with the web. Have young children, the immune system is not Mature enough, and her protective reaction when in contact with various infections, mostly softer. With the changes of the immune system in adolescence, strengthening its components, which are designed to eliminate unwanted (damaged, mutated, or virus infected) cells.

In the case of infection by Epstein-Barr situation is aggravated by the fact that it infects certain components of the immune system and changes their properties. The human immune system can be considered as a network consisting of many elements, which are interrelated and mutually influence each other. If some elements are damaged due to virus infection, this leads to failure of the entire system, and it takes a long time before balance is restored. Therefore, infectious mononucleosis is often accompanied by similar long recovery, characterized by a lower efficiency of the body, fatigue, increased susceptibility to other infections or allergic reactions.

Complications of infectious mononucleosis are quite rare and include diseases such as jaundice, various hematopoietic disorders, rarely – inflammation of the nervous system. In rare cases, the disease passes to the chronic active infection. It is a disease in which long persist or come back repeatedly characteristic clinical signs of mononucleosis, especially atypical blood, lymph nodes, spleen, and signs of inflammation of the liver.

Usually, we are talking about people who are genetically predisposed, for example, persons with congenital defects of the immune system. Severe may have a viral infection people who are not functioning of the above-mentioned immune surveillance. People with severe immune deficiency, e.g. after organ transplantation or in children with severe congenital defect of the immune system. These people of EBV infection is not within the normal control, and can cause massive proliferation of leucocytes, which in patients after transplantation is described in post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disease.

This disease is its clinical picture is similar to the current sharply mononucleosis, or malignant tumor in the lymph nodes (lymphoma), and if there is no cure for the Epstein-Barr disease often leads to death.

Treatment of diseases caused by EBV

Infectious mononucleosis is a disease, which itself subsides, so the Epstein-Barr treatment and specific treatments is not intended. Antiviral medications used for treatment of other herpes viruses (e.g., acyclovir), are only valid on the web only at a certain stage of its life cycle, replication of viral DNA in the infected cell. Disease caused by a virus, related not only with proliferation, but the proliferation of latently infected cells that antiviral drugs have no action. Therefore, none of the syndrome does not make sense to medicate this group.

People with infectious mononucleosis are advised calmmode, in the case of elevated liver functions – diet and sometimes antibiotics are to prevent secondary bacterial infections. However, caution is necessary because of frequent allergic reactions. In complicated mononucleosis are sometimes assigned anti-inflammatory drugs. Lymphoproliferative disorders treated with cytotoxic drugs, patients after organ transplantation is assigned to the corrective immunosuppression.

EBV and chronic fatigue syndrome

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome there are always high rates of anamnestic antibodies against the EB virus, are often inherent and antibodies associated with active infection.

Initially, these results led to thoughts that the virus can be a source of this disease. In the future, however, it was discovered that in people with chronic fatigue syndrome there are elevated levels of antibodies against other ubiquitinated (General) infectious agents. On the other hand, elevated levels of viral DNA in the blood, leading to the assumption of a chronic active infection in these people has not been demonstrated. High levels of antibodies to EBV, so more associated with a General activation of the immune system, which is typical in chronic fatigue syndrome. From what is known about the control of latency of EBV in the body, it becomes clear that such an environment is favorable for the reactivation of the virus. This occurs in people with chronic fatigue syndrome more often than in healthy latently infected individuals. More frequent reactivation of latent viruses in these individuals is a undesirable load, which may worsen the underlying disease. However, this is not considered to be the main cause but rather a secondary consequence, and the only way to prevent this condition is to restore balance to the immune system, what until for unknown reasons, these people themselves do not reach.

EBV and autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases include a large group of diseases which is the cause of the pathological process of autoreactivity immune system to its own tissues. Examples include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, red lupus, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and others. The cause of these diseases today is not clear. The important role played by genetic predisposition. Some infections can interact in the creation or development of these diseases: they can be a triggering factor which causes the initial imbalance in the immune system, beneficial to the expansion autoreactive cells. Some viral proteins can mimic the structural proteins and cellular immune response directed against viral antigens, subsequently induced cross reactivity against its own cell structures. Chronic or recurrent (repeated) infections in the process become particularly active.

Herpes viruses, due to its ability of reactivation of infection because of its rich genetic material (containing genetic information from tens to hundreds of different proteins), and ability to affect the human immune system are hot candidates to participate in the development of these diseases. But they do not qualify as creators. It is known that in the vast majority of cases they do not cause such problems.

The occurrence of the disease is always the result of interaction of several adverse circumstances (genetic predisposition, environmental factors or other types of loads that are not yet clearly defined), and infection are just some of them.

The extent to which the EBV or other herpes virus involved in the development of autoimmune diseases, it is difficult to determine: autoimmune diseases manifest increased rates of antibodies against certain viral proteins. The interpretation of these results, however, it is as hard as in chronic fatigue syndrome: the disease is accompanied by chronic activation of the immune system, a higher rate of reactivation of the infection and the formation of polyreactive antibodies cross-reacting with different types of protein.

With the introduction of drugs to suppress the undesirable autoimmune reactivity (immunosuppressants), this may affect the efficiency of immune surveillance over latent infections, in this case, the treatment may be associated with reactivation of symptoms. For diagnosis is only useful for direct detection of the virus.