Assay of antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in rheumatic patients. Specification of their correlations with clinical symptoms.
66 rheumatic patients were examined for the above antibodies. The admission diagnosis of rheumatic disease (RD) was confirmed in 42 of them. 24 were diagnosed to have active or chronic viral infection (A/CVI) simulating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other RD.
IgG-antibodies to CMV and VCA-IgG to EBV were detected in 79 and 70.3% of the examinees, respectively. In SLE more frequent were IgM-antibodies to CMV (78.9%), in RA-IgM-antibodies to CMV (85.7%) and IgG-antibodies to EBV (85.7%) while in A/CVI--to CMV (IgM--86.4%), EBV (IgG--80%; IgM--73.7%), HSV-1 (IgM--57.1%). Analysis of clinical correlations indicated that high titers to CMV and to EBV are related in RD patients.
It is necessary to examine rheumatic patients for antibodies to Herpesviridae viruses and prescribe antiviral drugs.