ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY FOR ANTIBODIES TO ZEBRA, AN EPSTEIN-BARR TRANSACTIVATOR

Patients with AIDS and AIDS-related complex often show symptoms of Eps tein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation. Several EBV-encoded trans-acting f actors activate the EBV lytic cycle, and one, called ZEBRA (BamHI Z EB V replication activator), controls the switch of EBV from a latent to a productive cycle. We describe here a simple ELISA test using a bacte rially expressed ZEBRA protein as antigen. Utilizing this technique, w e evaluated the humoral response to ZEBRA antigen in 38 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 134 subjects with an asymptomatic HIV1 in fection. The control group consisted of 40 healthy adult blood donors.