1Department of Virology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
2Department of Hematology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
3Department of Internal Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
Abstracts of the papers presented at the XVIII National Conference of Indian Virological Society at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, December 11–13, 2008.
Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) is a clinicopathological condition characterized by the activation of macrophages or histiocytes with prominent hemop-hagocytosis in bone marrow and other reticuloendothelial systems (RES). Clinically characterized by fever, pancytopenia, splenomegaly, and hemophagocytosis in RES. HPS can be familial origin or secondary to various infections. Amongst the viral causes Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Parvovirus B19 are more commonly associated. Although the virus associated HPS (VAHS) is well established, studies on viral etiology of HPS are extremely less. Therefore the current work was planned to study the acute viral markers in patients with HPS. Eight patients admitted to PGIMER Chandigarh fulfilling the criteria of HPS were recruited in the study group. Twenty patients of pancytopenia/leucopenia, without evidence of hemophago-cytosis were considered as controls. Serum samples of both the groups were subjected for the detection of IgM antibody against EBV capsid antigen, cytomegalovirus and parvovirus B19 using ELISA. Four out of eight patients of study group were positive for one or the other acute viral marker. Of these VCA IgM was positive in 3 and one for parvoB19 IgM, while none for CMV IgM. The patients in control group were not reactive for any of these viral markers. All the positive cases were young adult males of 30 to 35 years. Two of the 4 patients of VAHS died during the disease course. Virus is associated in 50% (4/8) of patients with HPS. EBV associated HPS accounted for most of the cases (3/8) followed by Parvo B19 virus.
