title: Epstein-Barr virus effect on frequency of functionally distinct T cell subsets in children with infectious mononucleosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epstein-Barr virus is a common human pathogen which infects the great majority of population worldwide. A striking proliferation of CD8⁺ T cells is an immune response to EBV invasion of B lymphocytes during infectious mononucleosis. The aim of the study was to analyze frequencies of CD28⁺CD95⁻, CD28⁺CD95⁺, CD28⁻CD95⁺ T cell subsets putative naïve (T(N)), central (T(CM)) and effector memory (T(EM)) T cells in children with infectious mononucleosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiparameter flow cytometric analysis of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell subsets was performed in 19 children with acute infectious mononucleosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio was found to be decreased (0.53) in children with infectious mononucleosis. Median T(N), T(CM), T(EM) frequencies were estimated to be 3.7, 4.5, 15.1% of CD8⁺ and 23, 59.3, 5.5% of CD4⁺ T cells, respectively. In the present study we demonstrated negative correlations between CD8⁺CD28⁺CD95⁺ and CD8⁺CD28⁻CD95⁺ T cells and both VCA IgM antibody titers and disease duration. However, no such correlation was found when subset of CD4⁺ T cells or CD8⁺CD28⁺CD95⁻ cells was compared.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that there is a rapid decrease in the number of memory CD8⁺ T cells in early acute stage of infectious mononucleosis.
authors: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. Electronic address: artur.sulik@umb.edu.pl.
authors: Artur
authors: A
authors: Sulik
authors: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors: Elzbieta
authors: E
authors: Oldak
authors: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Kroten
authors: Regional Center for Transfusion Medicine in Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors: Alina
authors: A
authors: Lipska
authors: Regional Center for Transfusion Medicine in Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors: Piotr
authors: P
authors: Radziwon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology
keywords: EBV; Infectious mononucleosis; T cells