title: Large clonal expansions of CD8+ T cells in acute infectious mononucleosis.
abstract: Primary infection with Epstein-Barr virus often results in the clinical syndrome of acute infectious mononucleosis (glandular fever). This illness is characterized by a striking lymphocytosis, the nature of which has been controversial. We show that large monoclonal or oligoclonal populations of CD8+ T cells account for a significant proportion of the lymphocytosis and provide molecular evidence that these populations have been driven by antigen. The results suggest that the selective and massive expansion of a few dominant clones of CD8+ T cells is an important feature of the primary response to this virus.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology Group, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Callan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Steven
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krausa
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Rickinson
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McMichael
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002999:Clone Cells; D004247:DNA; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D004247:DNA