Table 2. EBV DNA shedding pattern, proportion of positive samples and amount of EBV DNA detected by age group in antibody-positive subjects.
| Subjects 18–30 years old | Subjects >30 years old | All subjects | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of subjects | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Mean age (range) | 22.5 (20–25) | 44.3 (30–64) | 34.4 (20–64) |
| Antibody profile | |||
| Past EBV infection | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Recurrent EBV infection | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Subjects positive at least once | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Subjects viremic | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Proportion of positive samples | |||
| Oral cells | 19/36 (53%)a | 15/51 (29%)a | 34/87 (39%) |
| Oral supernatant | 12/36 (33%) | 10/51 (20%) | 22/87 (25%) |
| Whole blood | 7/36 (19%)b | 0/50 (0%)b | 7/86 (8%) |
| All samples | 38/108 (35%)c | 25/152 (16%)c | 63/260 (24%) |
| Median log10copies EBV DNA in positive samples (mean, range) | |||
| Oral cells | 3.69 (3.49; 1.70–4.91) | 3.08 (2.92; 1.70–3.88) | 3.50 (3.24; 1.70–4.91) |
| Oral supernatant | 3.30 (3.47; 3.00–4.25) | 3.50 (3.51; 3.00–4.25) | 3.36 (3.49; 3.00–4.25) |
| Whole blood | 3.30 (3.39; 3.08–3.79) | — | 3.30 (3.39; 3.08–3.79) |
Abbreviation: EBV, Epstein–Barr virus.
a
P=0.04, Fisher's exact test.
b
P=0.002, Fisher's exact test.
c
P<0.001, Fisher's exact test.