title: Epstein-Barr virus negativity among individuals older than 60 years is associated with HLA-C and HLA-Bw4 variants and tonsillectomy.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects ≈ 95% of the adult population. The factors that confer protection in the remaining ≈ 5% remain unknown. In an exploratory study, we assessed immunogenetic factors and tonsillectomy in a cohort of 17 EBV-negative and 39 EBV-positive healthy individuals aged >60 years. Analyses of HLA genotypes revealed an association between EBV negativity and the presence of HLA-C-35T/T and/or HLA-Bw4 alleles. In addition, EBV-negative donors presented with a history of tonsillectomy more often than EBV-positive donors.
authors.affiliation: Immunobiology Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bojana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Durovic
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gasser
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gubser
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigle
authors.forename: Hans H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buser
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hess
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D060467:Disease Resistance; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014068:Tonsillectomy
chemical_list: D015235:HLA-B Antigens; C042388:HLA-Bw4 antigen; D015236:HLA-C Antigens
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