ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Virology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1651320
Detection of EBV DNA in clinically ill patients from 2013 to 2023 in Beijing, China
Provisionally accepted
Ze Su1,2
ran Zi Wang1Jie Yi1Yu Chen1Yali Liu1Han Zhang1Dong Zhang1Lingjun Kong1Juan Du1Qiwen Yang1Rui Zhang1*- 1Peking Union Medical College Hospital Laboratory Department, Beijing, China
- 2The First Hospital of Zibo, Zibo, China
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Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and infection patterns of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) among patients at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) between 2013 and 2023, with a concurrent analysis of the clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters observed in patients diagnosed with EBV-associated infectious mononucleosis (IM). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 76,135 patients who underwent EBV DNA testing at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2013 and 2023. Additionally, clinical data from 152 patients diagnosed with IM from 2013 to 2024 were collected, with their clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters thoroughly evaluated. Results The overall EBV DNA positivity rate was 6.77%, with significant variations observed across different years and age groups. The detection rate of EBV DNA in males was significantly higher than in females, with the highest detection rate observed in individuals aged over 71 years. A decline in EBV DNA detection frequency was noted during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–2023). Among EBV-related clinical entities, the highest EBV DNA positive rate (37.4%) was observed in patients with IM. In this cohort, liver function abnormalities were common: elevations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) by 1-to 5-fold above the upper limit of normal were present in 61 (57%) and 41 (59%) cases, respectively. Immunophenotypic analysis revealed a marked increase in the CD8+DR+/CD8+ ratio in 67 patients (99%), accompanied by a reduction in CD19+ B-lymphocyte percentage in 62 cases (90%), indicating pronounced immune activation and B-cell suppression characteristic of acute EBV infection. Conclusion The positive rates of EBV DNA showed sex differences and significant fluctuations between 2013 and 2023, without displaying a consistent upward trend. Persistent surveillance and heightened clinical awareness (laboratory parameters, such as ALT,AST and CD8+DR+/CD8+) are warranted, particularly regarding IM attributable to EBV.
Keywords: Epstein-Barr virus DNA, Positive rate, EBV-associated diseases, Infectious Mononucleosis, Real-Time PCR
Received: 21 Jun 2025; Accepted: 21 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Su, Wang, Yi, Chen, Liu, Zhang, Zhang, Kong, Du, Yang and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Rui Zhang, Peking Union Medical College Hospital Laboratory Department, Beijing, China
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