Study Of Maternal And Neonatal Epstein-Barr Virus Infection In China’s Jilin Province

EB (Epstein-Barr) virus and some tumors have a close relationship in etiology, such as Burkitt’s lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Such virus infection is extremely common in the population. People will carry antibodies for whole life after infection. Until today, no effective vaccine has been developed for prevention. Currently, the view that the EB virus is mainly transmitted by mouth saliva is widely accepted, but whether EB virus has vertical transmission through utero, birth canal or milk remains unclear. In China, the epidemiological data concerning infants and children’s primary EB virus infection in low incidence-nasopharyngeal region-northern region is rare. In this study, we collected paired blood samples from late pregnancy women and their newborns in Jilin province. Through testing serum antibodies of paired samples and measuring newborns EBV-DNA copies, we learned pregnancy and neonatal EB virus infection levels in Jilin area. Comparing maternal test results, we looked for relevant evidence of EB virus vertical transmission. Such information will help screening neonatal EBV infection, improve the prevention and treatment of EBV-related diseases and provide a scientific basis for EB virus vaccine development.The study enrolled500samples of mother and their newborns.We collected1.5ml serum specimens from each mother,2dried blood spots from each newborn by acupuncturing their feet. Four antibodies, namely VCA (viral capsid antigen) IgG and IgM antibodies, EA (early antigen) IgG antibody and NA (nuclear antigen) IgG antibody, were investigated by ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). According to the maternal and neonatal results of EB virus antibodies and their positive rates, mothers were further grouped as primary infection, past infection or susceptible to EBV, and the percentage of each group was calculated. In addition, the study also pu、rified DNA from newborn dried blood spots to detect EB virus DNA copies by real-time PCR method. We analysed EBV infection status according to gestational age, birth way, feeding mode.Data between groups were compared using X2test, P<0.05had statistical significance.As the result shows,468cases (93.6%) of maternal samples were infected with EB virus,109cases (21.8%) of whom were in the state of primary infection and359Cases (71.8%) in the state of past infection. Acute maternal EB infection rates had seasonal difference in this local area, acute infection rate in autumn and winter (27.8%) was higher than that in spring and summer (11.1%), the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). For neonatal samples, EBV-CA-IgG antibody and EBNA-IgG antibody, which indicating EBV primary infection were466cases (93.2%) and392cases (78.4%); EB-EA-IgG and EBV-CA-IgM antibodies indicating EBV past infection were26cases (5.2%) and4cases (0.8%). Combined with EBV-DNA analysis results, the infection rate of EB virus in newborns was0.4%; with the increase of gestational age, positive rate of VCA-IgG had a slowly rising trend, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).In38W, the positive rate of neonatal VCA-IgG exceeded90%for the first time, approximately reaching to a positivity level with reported adult group.Compare test results of maternal and neonatal antibodies from birth way.The positive rate of four antibodies were slightly higher in natural delivery baby group than that of cesarean section group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05); According to the feeding mode, the positive rate of EB-VCA-IgG suggesting primary infection was significantly higher in breast-feeding neonatal group than that in the non-breast feeding infants, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05), which showed the EB virus vertical transmission route of breast milk. The placenta, milk and other ways possibly have a certain impact for EB virus vertical transmission of antibody.More relevant evidence is in need of vertical transmission for EB virus.The results depicted epidemiological data of maternal and neonatal EBV infection in Jilin area.The maternal EBV infection rate of such area is basically the same with the reported infection rate of Chinese adults;but still higher than that of the developed countries. The data is the first time in northeast region of China, which is not available for comparison of precedent and can be used as baseline data for future reference.In the study of500newborns, EBV-DNA positive samples were2cases, accounting for0.4%, lower than positive rate of antibody spectrum. Since EBV DNA copy number by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR method is only detectable when the virus undergoes active replication. Screening of normal newborn with no symptoms contributes little to determining the status of infection, i.e., notification meaning of PCR for EBV infection status is more limited, which should be analysed with antibodies and clinical informations.Detection antibody and DNA of neonatal EB virus by dried blood spot makes up for deficiency of traditional way.It also provides an efficient method for EBV large-scale screening and early diagnosis.