Blood lymphocytes in infectious mononucleosis share the following characteristics with activated T cells: natural attachment, stable E rosetting and glucocorticoid sensitivity.
Blood lymphocytes of infectious mononucleosis (IM) patients, unlike these obtained from healthy individuals, exhibit the following characteristics of activated T cells: (1) "stable" E rosette formation; (2) natural attachment to various human normal and malignant cells; (3) sensitivity in vitro to the lytic effect of glucocorticoids. Although the IM T cells attach in vitro to all the human cells tested, they kill only the EBV genome carrying targets. The possibility is discussed that some of the activated T cells in IM result from a non-specific activation elicited by the T cells responding specifically to the EBV associated antigens.
D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology*; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D006854:Hydrocortisone