title: Isolation of transforming Epstein-Barr virus from plasma of HTLV-III/LAV-infected patients.
abstract: Fresh plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes were obtained from 11 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). All of these patients were seropositive for antibodies to HTLV-III/LAV and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Plasma and uncultured peripheral blood leukocytes from these patients were tested for the presence of infectious EBV and membrane antigen (EBV-MA). Transforming EBV was isolated from the cell-free plasma of 4 patients with AIDS exhibiting EBV-MA in uncultured cells. No virus was detected in plasma from the healthy donors or from the remaining AIDS patients. No neutralizing antibody to EBV was detected in the 4 patients whose plasma contained EBV. In contrast, neutralizing antibody was present in the plasma of EBV-seropositive healthy donors and in 7 other patients with AIDS. One of the AIDS patients whose plasma contained EBV recently developed Burkitt's-type lymphoma. The production of transforming EBV could be induced either directly or indirectly by HTLV-III/LAV infection, and also could be involved in the frequently observed B cell malignancy associated with AIDS.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000209:etiology; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; C041788:Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins