The clinico-epidemiologic characteristics of 54 children with HD in 0-6 years of age group were retrospectively
analyzed. This group represented 27% of 200 HD cases observed in our center and was named
as early type-I pattern HD. The association of EBV with HD was also shown by serologic and immunohistochemical
methods (LMP1) in these very young Turkish patients. T-cell immune deficiency,
cytokine imbalance and Zn deficiency were additional findings found in these patients. This series seems
to be the largest one studying early type-I HD, by several aspects.