title: In vitro expansion of Epstein-Barr virus-specific HLA-restricted cytotoxic T cells direct from the blood of infectious mononucleosis patients.
abstract: The cytotoxic T-cell response induced by primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and detectable in the blood of infectious mononucleosis (IM) patients shows several unusual features when tested in in vitro assays. Lysis of EBV-transformed target lines occurs with no apparent HLA restriction, and the putative EBV specificity of the response has been seriously questioned. In the present work we show that the primary T-cell response in IM is polyclonal and indeed does contain a virus-specific HLA class I antigen-restricted component, which can be selectively expanded in vitro in the presence of appropriate stimulator cells and IL-2. This allows functional analysis of the virus-specific component of the response in the absence of co-resident reactivities. Studies on blood samples taken from individuals in the acute phase of IM and again post-convalescence suggest that functionally similar populations of HLA class I-restricted cytotoxic T cells are involved in the control of both the primary and persistent phase of EBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Studies, University of Birmingham, U.K.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strang
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Rickinson
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006680:HLA Antigens