Seroprevalence of Epstein–Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Polyomaviruses in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• Published in: Digestive diseases and sciences 2015-11, Vol.60 (11), p.3399-3407
• Main Authors: Hradsky, Ondrej, Copova, Ivana, Zarubova, Kristyna, Durilova, Marianna, Nevoral, Jiri, Maminak, Miroslav, Hubacek, Petr, Bronsky, Jiri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Analysis; Azathioprine - adverse effects; Biochemistry; Care and treatment; Child; Child, Preschool; Children's furniture; Colitis, Ulcerative - diagnosis; Colitis, Ulcerative - drug therapy; Colitis, Ulcerative - epidemiology; Colitis, Ulcerative - immunology; Crohn Disease - diagnosis; Crohn Disease - drug therapy; Crohn Disease - epidemiology; Crohn Disease - immunology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cytomegalovirus Infections - diagnosis; Cytomegalovirus Infections - epidemiology; Cytomegalovirus Infections - immunology; Cytomegalovirus Infections - virology; Czech Republic - epidemiology; Epstein-Barr virus; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - diagnosis; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - epidemiology; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - immunology; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - virology; Female; Gastroenterology; Hepatology; Human cytomegalovirus; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Immunosuppressive Agents - adverse effects; Inflammatory bowel disease; Infliximab - adverse effects; Logistic Models; Male; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Medicine, Experimental; Multivariate Analysis; Odds Ratio; Oncology; Opportunistic Infections - diagnosis; Opportunistic Infections - epidemiology; Opportunistic Infections - immunology; Opportunistic Infections - virology; Original Article; Polyomavirus Infections - diagnosis; Polyomavirus Infections - epidemiology; Polyomavirus Infections - immunology; Polyomavirus Infections - virology; Prevalence; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Risk Factors; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serologic Tests; Target marketing; Transplant Surgery; Ulcerative colitis; Viral Load
• ISSN: 0163-2116; 1573-2568
• DOI: 10.1007/s10620-015-3764-z

Background Young age and thiopurine therapy are risk factors for lymphoproliferative disease among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Aims The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of seropositivity for the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (CMV) among children and adolescents with IBD, to assess the viral load of EBV, CMV, and BK and JC polyomaviruses (BKV, JCV) in these patients, and to assess the influence of different therapeutic regimens on seroprevalence and viral load. Methods Children who had been followed in our center were tested for EBV, CMV, BKV, and JCV in a cross-sectional study. One hundred and six children were included who had Crohn’s disease (68 %), ulcerative colitis (29 %), and unclassified IBD (3 %). Results We found that 64 % of patients were EBV seropositive. The proportion of EBV seropositive patients increased during childhood. Azathioprine therapy ( p  = 0.003) was associated with EBV seropositivity in a multiple logistic regression model, after adjusting for gender, age, and disease activity at determination. We found a significant association between the number of polymerase chain reaction copies and infliximab dose ( p  = 0.023). We did not find any significant association between CMV serology and CMV, BKV, or JCV viral load, or any other therapeutic regimen or clinical characteristics. Conclusions Treatment with azathioprine appears to be a risk factor for early EBV seropositivity in children with IBD, and the infliximab dose was associated with a higher EBV viral load.