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Epstein-Barr Virus-specific Serology in Immunologically Compromised Individuals¹

The Joseph Stokes, Jr., Research Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

Since B-lymphocytes are targets and a continuing habitat of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the cell-mediated immune system becomes secondarily involved, one may anticipate that primary and persistent EBV infections in immunologically compromised individuals take unusual courses. Depending on the immunological defect, the clinical, hematological, and serological responses to primary EBV infections may be more or less pronounced than in immunologically competent patients. Infectious mononucleosis has per se an immunosuppressive effect which may enhance a preexisting immune defect. The persistent latent viral carrier state which regularly ensues after the primary EBV infection may become decontrolled by immunosuppressive diseases or therapy, leading rarely to illnesses referable to the virus but often to increases in the titers of antibodies to viral capsid and early antigens and/or declines in the antibody titer to EBV-associated nuclear antigen. Absence or dysfunction of different leukocyte subpopulations may account for the differential changes in antibody patterns.

¹ Work by the authors has been supported by Contract N01-CP-3-3272 from the National Cancer Institute, USPHS.

Received 11/20/80. Accepted 3/ 6/81.