Journal article
A virologic pilot study of valacyclovir in infectious mononucleosis
Journal of clinical virology, Vol.39(1), pp.16-21
2007
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2007.02.002
PMID: 17369082
Abstract
Infectious mononucleosis decreases the productivity of many college students and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection may result in long-term immune damage.
Evaluate the antiviral effect of valacyclovir during EBV-related acute infectious mononucleosis and explore potential clinical benefits.
University students who presented during the first 7 days of illness were randomized to receive valacyclovir 3
g/day for 14 days or not. The quantity of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA in oral and whole blood samples was determined by real-time (TaqMan) PCR. The primary outcome was the proportion of subjects with laboratory-confirmed primary EBV infection who had ≥2
log
10 decrease in EBV copies/mL in oral washes during the treatment period. Secondary outcomes included clinical effects.
Twenty subjects were studied. The proportion of valacyclovir recipients versus control subjects who had ≥2
log
10 decrease in EBV copies was significantly greater for both oral wash fluid-derived cell pellet (
P
=
0.03) and supernatant (
P
=
0.001) samples. At the end of the treatment period, the number of reported symptoms (
P
=
0.03) and the severity of illness (
P
=
0.049) were reduced among valacyclovir recipients as compared with controls.
Valacyclovir therapy caused a reduction of EBV excretion and possibly produced a clinical benefit in infectious mononucleosis. Because our study was small and not placebo-controlled, these results must be confirmed by a larger, placebo-controlled trial.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A virologic pilot study of valacyclovir in infectious mononucleosis
- Creators
- Henry H Balfour - Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USAKristin M Hokanson - Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USARobyn M Schacherer - Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USAChristine M Fietzer - Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USADavid O Schmeling - Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USACarol J Holman - Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USAHeather E Vezina - Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USARichard C Brundage - Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of clinical virology, Vol.39(1), pp.16-21
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jcv.2007.02.002
- PMID
- 17369082
- NLM abbreviation
- J Clin Virol
- ISSN
- 1386-6532
- eISSN
- 1873-5967
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2007
- Academic Unit
- Pathology
- Record Identifier
- 9984047653202771
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