[Epstein-Barr virus infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus].
OBJECTIVE
To verify the association of SLE activity to the avidity of IgG anti-EBV immune globulins.


METHODS
Peripheral blood of 66 patients was analyzed, 22 had active SLE and 44 had inactive SLE. Presence and avidity index of IgG anti-EBV antibodies were determined by the ELISA method (Enzygnost anti-EBV/IgG - Dade Behring).


RESULTS
IgG anti-EBV test was positive for 21 (95.5%) patients in the active SLE group and 40 (90.9%) in the inactive group. The avidity index was 40 for 54 (88.5%) patients of which 34 (85%) belonged to the inactive SLE group and 20 (95.2%) to the active group. For 5 (12.5%) inactive SLE patients, the avidity index reached values ranging from 20 to 40; while for only 2 (3.3%) patients this index was lower than 20. Adopting 20, 30 or 40 as a cutoff point of the avidity index for diagnosis of reactivation of the EBV infection, the author classified as having reactivated infection, for active and inactive SLE groups, respectively: 1 (4.8%) x 1 (2.5%) patient; 1 (4.8%) x 4 (10%) patients and 1 (4.8%) x 5 (12.5%) patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Association between EBV activity and SLE was not demonstrated. This appears to indicate that persistence of infected B lymphocytes may be due to failure in the apoptosis mechanism or to the action of T cytotoxic lymphocytes, permitting evolution of SLE.
Kosminsky
Samuel
S
Ambulatório de Reumatologia do Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco e no Setor de Virologia do Laboratório de Imunopatologia Keizo Asami, Recife, PE. rcoelho@lika.ufpe.br
de Menezes
Renata Carneiro
RC
Coêlho
Maria Rosângela Cunha Duarte
MR
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G