INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS Flashcards
Also known as:
• “Mono”
• Kissing disease
• Glandular fever
Most common
causative agent:
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)
• Can also cause:
• Burkitt’s lymphoma
• Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
An acute, benign, and self-limiting lymphoproliferative condition
Infectious mononucleosis
EBV is most commonly spread through saliva by:
• Kissing
• Sharing drinks and food
• Sharing drinking cups, eating utensils, or toothbrushes
• Having contact with toys that children have drooled on
EBV can also spread through
blood and semen during
sexual contact
blood transfusions
organ transplantations
Signs and symptoms
INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS
• Extreme fatigue
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Headaches and body aches
• Swollen lymph modes in the neck and armpits
• Swollen liver or spleen or both
Rash
• Lymphocytosis with prominent atypical lymphocytes
Hematological
• (+) Heterophile and EBV antibodies
• Heterophile antibodies (non- specific)
• EBV antibodies (specific)
Serological
• Increased lymphocyte count in the blood (more than 50% of total white blood cells).
Lymphocytosis
Atypical lymphocytes:
• Also known as______, these are large, irregularly shaped lymphocytes seen under the microscope.
Downey cells
• These are non-specific antibodies that react with antigens from different species (e.g., sheep or horse red blood cells).
Heterophile Antibodies (Non-Specific)
are often a strong indicator of infectious mononucleosis, but they are non-specific (meaning they don’t target EBV directly).
Positive heterophile antibodies
they are stimulated by one antigen (like a virus or bacteria) but can react with unrelated antigens found on cells from other species (e.g., sheep, horse, or cow).
This means they can bind to substances from different mammals, even though they were triggered by a different organism.
Heterophile antibodies
Reacts with (3)erythrocytes:
• IgM heterophile antibodies can cross-react with red blood cells (erythrocytes) from these animals, which is the basis for tests like the Monospot or Paul-Bunnell test.
horse, ox, and sheep
When mixed with____ red blood cells, the heterophile antibodies get absorbed, meaning they bind to and “disappear” from the serum.
beef
Heterophile antibodies do not bind to_______, which helps differentiate heterophile antibodies from other types of antibodies.
guinea pig kidney cells
Does not react with ________antigens:
• Although heterophile antibodies are associated with infections like infectious mononucleosis, they do not target EBV-specific antigens. They are nonspecific antibodies produced during the infection.
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific
A______ refers to the concentration of antibodies in the blood.
A titer of _____or higher is considered significant, meaning that the level of heterophile antibodies is high enough to support a diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis.
titer
1:56