Pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection

<p indent="0mm">Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is a lymphoproliferative disease caused by EBV infection in T cells and NK cells. Patients mainly present with symptoms resembling infectious mononucleosis, occurring repeatedly or persisting for months to years, accompanied by hepatosplenomegaly, elevated peripheral blood EBV DNA levels, and severe complications such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, leukemia, and lymphoma. The prognosis is poor, with a high mortality rate. Due to the incomplete understanding of its pathogenesis, there is currently no unified treatment protocol internationally. Presently, chemotherapy combined with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is considered the only effective curative method. This article reviews the research progress in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of CAEBV, highlighting the existing challenges in its management.