Specific neutralizing antibodies in Epstein-Barr virus associated diseases

✍ Scribed by G. Rocchi; J. Hewetson; W. Henle

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1973
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 659 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910110315

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The results of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) neutralization tests on 650 sera from patients with EBV‐associated diseases and controls were compared with the titers of antibodies to EB viral capsid antigens (anti‐VCA) and to EBV‐induced early antigens (anti‐EA). All anti‐VCA negative sera failed to neutralize EBV. Among 546 anti‐VCA positive sera, only eight yielded negative results in neutralization tests. Four of these came from patients in the early acute phase of infectious mononucleosis who subsequently developed neutralizing antibodies. The ratios between neutralizing and anti‐VCA titers varied over a wide range indicating that different antibodies are involved in the two tests. In line with the regular presence of mostly elevated anti‐VCA titers, the geometric mean neutralizing titers in Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma were also higher (5‐ to 7‐fold) than in appropriate controls. In Hodgkin's disease, an over‐representation of high neutralizing as well as anti‐VCA titers was noted, although some patients had neither of these antibodies. All patients with infectious mononucleosis developed neutralizing antibodies with a geometric mean ultimately matching that of controls whereas in the early acute phase it was lower than in the controls. In contrast, the geometric mean anti‐VCA titer in the early acute phase was higher than in controls and then declined in convalescence toward the control value. There was no evident relationship between neutralizing and anti‐EA activities whether directed against the D or the R component of the EA complex.