Epstein-Barr Virus: An Infectious Cause For COPD?

Terence McManus (Mater Hospital, Belfast, UK) and his colleagues
examined the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), the umbrella medical term used nowadays for
bronchitis and emphysema.



COPD is a common respiratory condition, for which smoking is the most
frequently found risk factor. It is thought to be the fourth most
common cause of death worldwide and the World Health Organization
anticipates that by 2020 it will have become the third.



The authors tested subjects with and without this disease for the
presence of EBV. They found that EBV was much more commonly found in
those patients who had developed COPD.



EBV may be important in the development of this common condition,
which is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.
Further studies are underway to confirm this finding in at-risk
people who have smoked.



Title of original article-

High levels of Epstein-Barr virus in COPD


The European Respiratory Journal is the peer-reviewed scientific publication of the European Respiratory Society (more than 8,000 specialists in lung diseases and respiratory medicine in Europe, the United States and Australia).


European Respiratory Journal