Abstract
A 4-year old male had recurring episodes of arthritis, skin rash, abdominal pain, vomiting and atypical lymphocytosis for 1½ years following an acute illness in Jan. 1978 that included pharyngitis. No etiology was found during the first 2 months of illness; further serological testing identified the probable cause as EBV. Fluctuating CMV titers suggested a dual infection. CMV viruria was first detected in April 1978 and persisted for 15 months with a peak titer of 1010 INFU/ml in March 1979. CMV was present in a buffy coat culture during an episode in Nov. 1978. Although CMV titers were persistently increased, in vitro lymphocyte responses to CMV remained negative (SI <1.0; control >3.0); responses to mitogen were normal. A 7-month trial of levamisole was ineffective. Bovine OTF from an animal skin test positive to infectious rhinotracheitis virus (cross reacts with human CMV) was administered every three weeks for 6 months. Two months after starting OTF, symptoms and viruria ceased and CMV SI was 4.0. He has remained symptom-free with a continued positive SI for 1 year without further therapy. Recovery from this chronic CMV infection was temporally related to OTF administration. Further evaluation of treatment with OTF for chronic virus infection accompanied by abnormal cellular immunity is suggested.
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Jones, J., Minnich, L., Jeter, W. et al. 1034 COMBINED CMV-EBV INFECTION TREATED WITH ORAL TRANSFER FACTOR (OTF). Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 615 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01060
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01060