Simultaneous presence of EBNA-positive and colony-forming cells in peripheral blood of patients with infectious mononucleosis.
EBNA-positive lymphoblast cells were detected in 0.1 to 0.9% of the T-cell-depleted lymphocytes obtained from peripheral blood samples of five patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM). The same blood specimens from four of the five patients contained cells that formed EBNA-positive colonies in soft agar containing EBV antibodies. The ratio of the colony formers to EBNA-positive cells was higher in blood samples taken early in the disease than in those obtained in later stages of the disease. The present results strongly suggest that EBV-transformed cells are present in the peripheral circulation of IM patients and that such cells can directly give rise to immortalized cell lines in vitro.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral