Cells containing Epstein--Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA) in peripheral blood.
The anti-complement immunofluorescence (ACIF) method was used to demonstrate EBNA in B lymphocytes separated from the peripheral blood of patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) or other diseases. In the acute phase of IM of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) origin, 0.5--1% of the B lymphocytes proved to be positive in 6 of the 8 patients tested. In two of the positive cases the test was repeated 20 and 26 days, respectively, after clinical symptoms had appeared; the result was negative in both cases. No EBNA-positive cells were found in the peripheral blood of 17 patients with Hodgkin disease, 3 with systemic lupus erythematosus and 2 with lymphosarcoma. It is supposed that EBNA-positive cells appear in detectable amount exclusively in the acute phase of EBV infection.
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male
D000956:Antigens, Viral