{"title":"Clinical features and risk factors for Epstein-Barr virus-associated encephalitis: a retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Zhu Liu, Anjiao Peng, Luyan Huang, Leihao Sha, Yusha Tang, Yongzhao Zhou, Lei Chen","doi":"10.1186/s12985-025-02768-w","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been gradually recognized as an important pathogen of encephalitis, but our knowledge of EBV-associated encephalitis is still limited. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features and explore the risk factors for EBV-associated encephalitis in a large cohort of Chinese patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>All patients with confirmed encephalitis in our center from June 2020 to April 2021 were enrolled. Data were extracted from the electronic medical record system and analyzed by Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and logistic regression analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study included a total of 364 patients diagnosed with encephalitis, among which 86 cases (23.6%) had EBV detected in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and 39 cases were diagnosed with EBV-associated encephalitis. The clinical characteristics of EBV-associated encephalitis differ from those caused by other herpes viruses. Compared to other herpes virus-related encephalitis, patients with EBV encephalitis exhibited significantly higher protein levels (1.310 [0.695, 1.840] vs. 0.710 [0.490, 1.700], p < 0.001), lower glucose levels (3.030 [2.585, 3.640] vs. 3.380 [2.990, 4.030], p < 0.001), and a higher incidence of meningeal involvement on MRI (11 (30.6%) vs. 3 (6.5%), p = 0.010). Additionally, univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR = 1.015, 95% CI: 1.002-1.029), HIV infection (OR = 4.285, 95% CI: 1.582-11.816), non-tumor immunosuppression (OR = 5.713, 95% CI: 1.588-22.883), and peripheral blood EBV infection (OR = 10.204, 95% CI: 4.231-26.346) were independent risk factors for CNS EBV infection.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Compared to other herpes virus-associated encephalitis, EBV encephalitis is characterized by a higher degree of meningeal involvement, elevated CSF protein levels, lower glucose levels, and a reduced T-lymphocyte count in peripheral blood. These characteristics suggest that EBV encephalitis may have a distinct pathophysiology.</p>","PeriodicalId":23616,"journal":{"name":"Virology Journal","volume":"22 1","pages":"141"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12076911/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Virology Journal","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-025-02768-w","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"VIROLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been gradually recognized as an important pathogen of encephalitis, but our knowledge of EBV-associated encephalitis is still limited. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features and explore the risk factors for EBV-associated encephalitis in a large cohort of Chinese patients.
Methods: All patients with confirmed encephalitis in our center from June 2020 to April 2021 were enrolled. Data were extracted from the electronic medical record system and analyzed by Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and logistic regression analyses.
Results: This study included a total of 364 patients diagnosed with encephalitis, among which 86 cases (23.6%) had EBV detected in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and 39 cases were diagnosed with EBV-associated encephalitis. The clinical characteristics of EBV-associated encephalitis differ from those caused by other herpes viruses. Compared to other herpes virus-related encephalitis, patients with EBV encephalitis exhibited significantly higher protein levels (1.310 [0.695, 1.840] vs. 0.710 [0.490, 1.700], p < 0.001), lower glucose levels (3.030 [2.585, 3.640] vs. 3.380 [2.990, 4.030], p < 0.001), and a higher incidence of meningeal involvement on MRI (11 (30.6%) vs. 3 (6.5%), p = 0.010). Additionally, univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR = 1.015, 95% CI: 1.002-1.029), HIV infection (OR = 4.285, 95% CI: 1.582-11.816), non-tumor immunosuppression (OR = 5.713, 95% CI: 1.588-22.883), and peripheral blood EBV infection (OR = 10.204, 95% CI: 4.231-26.346) were independent risk factors for CNS EBV infection.
Conclusion: Compared to other herpes virus-associated encephalitis, EBV encephalitis is characterized by a higher degree of meningeal involvement, elevated CSF protein levels, lower glucose levels, and a reduced T-lymphocyte count in peripheral blood. These characteristics suggest that EBV encephalitis may have a distinct pathophysiology.
期刊介绍:
Virology Journal is an open access, peer reviewed journal that considers articles on all aspects of virology, including research on the viruses of animals, plants and microbes. The journal welcomes basic research as well as pre-clinical and clinical studies of novel diagnostic tools, vaccines and anti-viral therapies.
The Editorial policy of Virology Journal is to publish all research which is assessed by peer reviewers to be a coherent and sound addition to the scientific literature, and puts less emphasis on interest levels or perceived impact.