Antibodies to EA appear transiently during active infections and are also found in patients with the African variant of Burkitt's lymphoma and in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Antibodies to EBNA appear late in the course of illness and persist after recovery. Thus, the pattern of specific EBV antibody responses may indicate the stage of infection. Although EBV can be isolated from the nasopharynx, culture techniques are cumbersome and time consuming. Cultures are usually not helpful in making a diagnosis.
Treatment is supportive.
The administration of corticosteroids may be helpful in certain situations, such as impending airway obstruction, severe thrombocytopenia, or hemolytic anemia. Specific antiviral agents such as acyclovir or ganciclovir are not recommended for most EBV-related disorders. Although intravenous acyclovir can reduce viral shedding in patients with infectious mononucleosis, clinical benefit appears to be minimal. Infusion of donor leukocytes has also been useful in some EBV-related lymphoproliferative diseases after bone marrow transplantation.