title: Incidence of anti-intermediate filament antibody in serum samples of students with suspected glandular fever.
abstract: Serum samples from 40 students with suspected infectious mononucleosis were tested for the presence of antibodies to intermediate filaments (AIFA) of the cytoskeleton. Twenty had antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen before their illness, and during it their sera remained negative by the Paul-Bunnell test. The other 20 patients did not have antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen before their illness and seroconverted during the illness. These patients (true infectious mononucleosis group) developed positive Paul-Bunnell tests. Sera from normal subjects (blood donors) were also tested for AIFA. AIFA was present in titres greater than 1/10 in 80% of the infectious mononucleosis group (mean titre 1/40-1/80), 10% of the Paul-Bunnell negative glandular fever group, and 8.5% of the normal blood donors.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Kataaha
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Holborow
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000276:immunology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007075:Immunoglobulin M