The influence of SARS-COV-2 viral infection on the serological level of igm antibodies in patients with infectious mononucleosis

Abstract

Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is a disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a member of the herpes virus family, which usually occurs in older children, adolescents, and young adults between the ages of 15 and 25. In young adults, infectious mononucleosis often causes fever, cough, pharyngitis and malaise, and lymphadenopathy. The similar symptoms of COVID-19 and EBV-induced IM suggest a possible association. The aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of coinfection with Epstein-Barr virus in COVID-19 patients. 80 serum samples from IM patients from January 2020 to December 2022 are included and analyzed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for diagnosis and determination of EBV-VCA IgM stage. Patients were classified into an EBV/SARS- CoV-2 coinfection group based on serologic results. A high frequency of reinfection and coinfection with EBV was found in patients with COVID-19 (23.42 % - 34.58 %). C-reactive protein (CRP) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) results were higher in EBV SARS-CoV-2 coinfection during disease. EBV coinfection may be associated with disease severity at COVID -19.