Disease-related differences in antibody patterns against EBV-encoded nuclear antigens EBNA 1, EBNA 2 and EBNA 6.
Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen family (EBNA) and three of its individual members, EBNA 1, EBNA 2 (A and B) and EBNA 6, were measured by anticomplement immunofluorescence (ACIF) in sera of 75 healthy controls, 13 patients with chronic EBV infection, 38 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), 23 with Hodgkin's disease (HD), 105 with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and 7 patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM). Their anti-EBV lytic antigens were also measured. We observed that: (1) anti-EBNA 2A and E6 rose in parallel 4-6 weeks after IM, followed by anti-EBNA 1 at 3-6 months, (2) all seropositive individuals had anti-EBNA 1; 74% also had anti-EBNA 2A and E6, (3) anti-EBNA 1 accounted for most of the anti-EBNA reactivity in non-IM sera. Striking disease-associated differences were noted on the humoral responses to the lytic and transformation-associated antigens. Compared to the controls, anti-EBNA 1, -EBNA 2A and -EBNA 6 were simultaneously four to 10 times higher in chronic reactivations, whereas only anti-EBNA 1 was elevated (10 times) in NPC. Individual EBNA titres were normal in NHL or HD patients.
Lennette
E T
ET
Virolab Inc., Berkeley, California 94710.
Rymo
L
L
Yadav
M
M
Masucci
G
G
Merk
K
K
Timar
L
L
Klein
G
G
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology*; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens