CLINICAL, IMMUNOLOGICAL CRITERIA AND LABORATORY MARKERS OF ATYPICAL CHRONIC ACTIVE INFECTION CAUSED BY THE EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS

Today, an atypical chronic active infection caused by herpesviruses and, in particular, the Epstein-Barr virus is polysymptomatic and polysyndromic. It is also a difficult to diagnose and poorly understood disease. Patients suffering from this disease often turn to specialists of various profiles. However, the disease is often not diagnosed and the patients remain without a correct diagnosis and, consequently, without an adequate therapy. The revealed clinical and immunological criteria and laboratory markers of this persistent viral infection allowed developing a diagnostic algorithm that is used to establish a correct diagnosis of atypical chronic active infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. In addition, features of the immune system functioning and interferon status in this infection have been detected. The main features are the defects of the induced production of IFNα and IFNγ, deficiency of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, of natural killer cells, including EKT, and / or inadequate absence of activation, neutropenia. In general, the revealed clinical diagnostic and immunopathogenetic features of the course of atypical chronic active infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, as well as the developed algorithm, will further allow to create the concept of an individualized / personified, complex etio- and immunopathogenetic, targeted therapy of this atypical, often invalidating viral infection. The development of methods for the rehabilitation of the body's antiviral protection system and the interferon system will lead to a significant reduction or complete suppression of the replicative activity of EBV. That will allow the return of control of the immune system, as well as interferon systems over EBV and other herpes-viral infections.