Premium
Antibody response to epstein‐barr virus antigens in patients with chronic viral infection
Author(s) -
Roubalová Kateřina,
Roubal Jaroslav,
Skopový Petr,
Fučiková Terera,
Domorázková Eva,
Vonka V.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890250115
Subject(s) - mononucleosis , antibody , immunology , antigen , virology , virus , immune system , humoral immunity , medicine , biology
We tested antibody titres against Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) antigens in patients suffering from chronic viral disease and compared them with those determined in sex‐and age‐matched healthy controls. Patient sera showed signs of active EBV infection [antibodies against early antigen (EA) and/or viral capsid antigen (VCA) in the IgM or IgA classes] significantly more frequently than the control group. Correspondingly, geometric mean titres (GMT) of antibodies against all viral antigens were elevated in the patients. The strongest association with EBV was observed in patients whose clinical symptoms closely resembled infectious mononucleosis: 92% of the Subjects in this subgroup possessed anti‐EA and 41 and 25% had IgM and IgA anti‐VCA antibody, respectively. In patients with signs of lymphoproliferation only and in those suffering from frequent respiratory infections the association with EBV was less marked but still significant. Patients with transient defects in humoral and cellular immunity mounted higher titres against VCA in the IgG class than those without immune defects.