Isolation of Epstein‐Barr virus‐deoxyribonucleic acid in the lower respiratory tract for distinguishing critically ill patients from those with influenza‐associated pneumonia: A pilot study

Abstract

BackgroundWhen influenza A‐related pneumonia is complicated by bacteria, aspergillus, and other infections, the disease is aggravated, while there is no research on the role of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) on patients with influenza A‐related pneumonia. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the isolation of EBV and influenza A‐related pneumonia.MethodsThis is a clinical study based on the baseline data of a retrospective cohort. A total of 113 cases of influenza A‐related pneumonia who underwent polymerase chain reaction test for isolation of EBV‐DNA in lower respiratory tract specimens during six influenza seasons from 2013–2014 to 2018–2019 were enrolled. According to the results of EBV‐DNA, patients were divided into EBV‐positive group and EBV‐negative group, and the role of EBV‐DNA on patients with influenza A‐related pneumonia was analyzed. Regression analysis was used to explore the potential risk factors for the development of moderate‐to‐severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in patients with influenza A‐related pneumonia during hospitalization.ResultsAmong 113 patients with influenza A‐related pneumonia, there were 53 patients with EBV‐positive and 60 patients with EBV‐negative. The EBV‐positive group had higher intensive care unit admission rate, hospital stay, invasive mechanical ventilation rate, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation rate, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and moderate‐to‐severe ARDS rate. Patients were divided into severe group and mild group. Patients in severe group had lower lymphocyte count, platelet count, and albumin level, while the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, creatine kinase, lactic dehydrogenase, and total bilirubin were higher in severe group. The levels of D‐dimer, serum ferritin, C‐reactive protein, and procalcitonin were higher in severe group than those in the mild group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the isolation of EBV (odds ratio = 2.713, 95% confidence interval: 1.094–6.729, P = 0.031) and lymphocyte count (odds ratio = 3.585, 95% confidence interval: 1.157–11.101, P = 0.027) were independent risk factors for moderate‐to‐severe ARDS in patients with influenza A‐related pneumonia.ConclusionThe isolation rate of EBV in the lower respiratory tract was 46.9%. The length of hospital stays, intensive care unit admission rate, invasive mechanical ventilation rate, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation rate, SOFA score, and the proportion of moderate‐to‐severe ARDS in the EBV‐positive group were higher than those in the EBV‐negative group, while there was no effect on the death during hospitalization. The isolation of EBV in the lower respiratory tract and low lymphocyte count are independent risk factors for the development of moderate‐to‐severe ARDS in patients with influenza A‐related pneumonia.