SIMPLE ASSAY FOR EVALUATION OF EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS SPECIFIC CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTES

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are co nsidered to be one of major defenses against the activation of EBV inf ection. We have developed a simple assay for evaluation of EBV-CTL by means of culturing peripheral blood mononuclear cells at the concentra tion of 2 x 10(6) cells/ml infected by B95-8 EBV, in the presence or a bsence of cyclosporin A (CSA). No lymphoblastoid cell line was establi shed from ten EBV-seropositive healthy individuals in the absence of C SA. In contrast, cell lines were established from ten EBV-seronegative healthy individuals in the absence of CSA, indicating lack of EBV-CTL in these individuals. Methods described herein are simple and correla te well with EBV-CTL activity when compared to conventional methods, s uch as outgrowth regression or chromium-51 release assays.