Transient immune deficiency in patients with acute Epstein-Barr virus infection.
To study the effect of primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection on antigen-specific antibody production, we immunized 17 college students who had developed acute infectious mononucleosis with the T-cell dependent neoantigen bacteriophage phi X174. During the early phase of infectious mononucleosis, the proportion of peripheral blood lymphocytes displaying Ia and T8 (CD8) phenotypes was increased and the T helper/suppressor (T4/T8) ratio was decreased (less than 1). These abnormalities disappeared during the convalescent phase. Correlating with EBV-induced changes in T lymphocytes, we demonstrated depressed humoral immune responses to bacteriophage phi X174 both in vivo and in vitro. In vitro coculture experiments indicated that the Ia+ suppressor T cells could inhibit antibody production and isotype switch. Removal of T8+ lymphocytes from patient T cells normalized in vitro antibody synthesis. In addition, impaired B-cell function was shown to be in part responsible for deficient antibody production. These studies demonstrate that infection with EBV affects both B and T lymphocytes and causes a broad-based transient immune deficiency in patients with uncomplicated infectious mononucleosis.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000494:pharmacology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D010584:Bacteriophage phi X 174 / Q000276:immunology; D002450:Cell Communication; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000276:immunology*; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000956:Antigens, Viral