Antibodies to human herpes virus-6 and clinical course in patients with Hodgkin's disease.
Serial serum samples from 37 patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and 39 healthy controls were studied for antibodies to human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) using ELISA and indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) tests and to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) using a radio-complement fixation assay. Antibodies to HHV-6 in the pre-treatment sera from the HD patients were not significantly different from those of controls, but significant changes in titers related to clinical course were noted among the HD patients. HHV-6 IFA titers increased significantly in the course of follow-up in patients who relapsed and decreased significantly over time in patients who did not. These serologic studies support tissue-based investigations indicating that EBV plays a greater etiologic role in HD than HHV-6, although HHV-6 serology may be of prognostic value or may assist in identifying individuals with immunologic abnormalities. The identification of diverse HHV-6 antibody patterns using different assays may reflect the presence of a number of antibodies with varying implications, similar to those identified for EBV.
Levine
P H
PH
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Ebbesen
P
P
Ablashi
D V
DV
Saxinger
W C
WC
Nordentoft
A
A
Connelly
R R
RR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence
D000914:Antibodies, Viral