Autoimmune and lymphoproliferative malignant diseases associated with Epstein-Barr viral infection

Currently, in medical practice, there is a high interest in diseases caused by herpes viruses, among them the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) occupies the leading place. Almost 90% of the world’s population over the age of 40 are infected with VEB. In patients of the first two years, the proportion of asymptomatic carriage reaches 90%, and at the age of 2-10 – 30-50%. The article considers current data on the impact of EBV on cellular and humoral immunity, its connection with autoimmune and lymphoproliferative diseases. EBV has been shown to play a significant role in the onset of oncological diseases such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinomas, as well as autoimmune diseases – systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogrenʼs syndrome, autoimmune hepatitis, lymphoid interstitial hepatitis, lymphoid interstitial syndrome. The results of studies over the past 5 years of cases of activation of autoimmune processes associated with EBV infection, as well as predisposing factors underlying these manifestations, are presented. Due to the fact that the autoimmune effect of EBV infection is manifested in various organs and tissues, this problem is multidisciplinary, affecting such fields of medicine as pediatrics, infectious diseases, endocrinology, oncology, gynecology, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, etc.