title: High incidence of elevated antibody titers to Epstein-Barr virus in patients with uveitis.
abstract: We assayed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody titers in patients' sera using indirect immunofluorescence and tested for the presence of antibody to EBV immediate-early BZLF1 protein ZEBRA by Western blotting to explore the association of EBV infection with uveitis. IgG and IgA antibodies to viral capsid antigen (VCA), IgG antibodies to early antigen (EA), and antibodies to EBV nuclear antigen were detected at higher titers in sera of patients with uveitis than in the sera of healthy controls. Neither IgM antibody to VCA nor EA was detected in the patients' sera. Anti-ZEBRA-IgG antibodies were detected in most patients' sera, but not in those of healthy controls. These results suggest that uveitis might be a disease accompanied by EBV reactivation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Touge
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Agawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sairenji
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000276:immunology; D014605:Uveitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; C063676:BZLF1 protein, Herpesvirus 4, Human; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; C041788:Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen; C033305:Epstein-Barr virus early antigen; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014764:Viral Proteins