Detection of the Epstein-Barr virus (HSV-IV) in biological material by qualitative PCR method

Epstein–Barr virus is the most common virus of the herpes virus family type 4. It was named after discoverers Michael Epstein and his graduate student Ivonna Barr. Recent seminal work by scientists is forcing this virus to be taken more seriously than was accepted years ago.

The Epstein–Barr virus infects over 90% of a healthy population and persists in small amounts in memory B cells. Accordingly, about 90% of adults are virus carriers. Infants become susceptible to EBV as soon as maternal antibodies disappear in their blood. The virus is found in body fluids, especially its high concentration is found in saliva. The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets and by contact. The highest risk of infection is during a kiss. For this reason, the disease caused by EBV, in addition to the scientific name, also has an unofficial name – "Kiss disease".

In the oral cavity, the virus attacks epithelial cells, which causes inflammation of the pharynx and tonsils – "infectious mononucleosis". The clinical manifestations of the disease are no different from ordinary tonsillitis, except for the likelihood of enlargement of the spleen. There are also special laboratory data on the appearance of atypical mononuclears in the blood, but they can only be detected by detailed microscopy of a blood swab. Therefore, most often the diagnosis of tonsillitis or ARVI is made on the basis of the patient's complaints and the appearance of the yawn. Mononucleosis itself is life-threatening in isolated cases, when the spleen may rupture. It is necessary to fear the accession of secondary infection due to a decrease in immunity and the transition of the disease into a chronic form.

The most severe form of infection with the virus is lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes. B-lymphocytes affected by VEB accumulate in the lymph nodes and begin to multiply uncontrollably, which leads to the development of a tumor.

But most often the Epstein-Barr virus causes a disease, the possibility of which many people do not even suspect, is chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): a disease included in the list of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). The syndrome is characterized by prolonged fatigue, general weakness that does not go away even after a long rest. This is not a subjective condition invented to shirk work, but an independent pathology accompanied by a violation of the balance between the nervous, endocrine and immune systems of a person. Clinical manifestations range from minor "malaise", which can be overcome due to individual volitional qualities, to severe depression, bedridden the patient (10% of cases of the disease). Unfortunately, chronic fatigue syndrome is very difficult to diagnose due to the fact that the condition is masked under the guise of functional disorders of the cardiac and nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, bladder.

Transmission route is airborne droplet. Peak morbidity is 15-25 years old. The first contact with the Epstein–Barr virus occurs, as a rule, in childhood (up to 10 years old), which causes the development of latent asymptomatic or low-symptom infection.

To detect the pathogen, the polymerase chain reaction method is used to detect the DNA of the virus. The principle of the method is based on a multiple increase in the number of copies of a DNA site specific to a given pathogen.