Role of Sexual Behavior in the Acquisition of Asymptomatic Epstein-Barr Virus Infection

A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Background: 

The natural history of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is poorly defined. We report the prevalence and subsequent incidence of EBV infection in a cohort of sexually active young women and explore the social and sexual determinants of incident infections.

Methods: 

The study population was drawn from a cohort of young women, who were recruited for a longitudinal study of risk factors for early cervical neoplasia. A case-control analysis, nested within the cohort of 45 women for whom the first EBV sample tested was EBV-negative and who had further follow-up, was undertaken. EBV serostatus was determined in serum with a synthetic peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; EBV DNA was measured in cervical smears with the use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results: 

Of 1023 women 15–19 years of age included in this analysis, 978 (95.6%) tested positive for antibodies to EBV in their first serum sample. Of 45 women who tested negative, 22 subsequently acquired an asymptomatic EBV infection; the median time to seroconversion was 25 months (range, 1–60 months), and the median age at seroconversion was 18 years (range, 16–21 years). The risk of seroconversion increased with increasing number of sexual partners [compared with 1 partner, odds ratio (OR) was 1.28 for 2 partners and 2.23 for 3 or more; χ²_TREND 5.02; df 1; P < 0.05] and was greatest when a new sexual partner had been acquired in the 2 years before seroconversion (OR 4.78; χ² 4.62; df 1; P < 0.05). EBV DNA was detected in 9 of 14 women who seroconverted and who also provided cervical samples.

Conclusions: 

In susceptible young women, the acquisition of EBV infection is associated with their sexual behavior.