VIRAL ANTIBODIES IN INFECTIOUS-MONONUCLEOSIS

Citation
G. Haukenes et al., VIRAL ANTIBODIES IN INFECTIOUS-MONONUCLEOSIS, FEMS immunology and medical microbiology, 8(3), 1994, pp. 219-224
Citations number
33
Categorie Soggetti
Immunology,Microbiology
ISSN journal
09288244
Volume
8
Issue
3
Year of publication
1994
Pages
219 - 224
Database
ISI
SICI code
0928-8244(1994)8:3<219:VAII>2.0.ZU;2-Z
Abstract
Patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infectious mononucleosis (IM) u sually develop heterophilic antibodies and some autoantibodies. Antibo dies to rubella, measles, adeno-, entero-, herpes simplex, cytomegalo- and varicella-zoster viruses were titrated in sera from IM patients a nd matched healthy controls using the complement fixation test (CFT) a nd the haemagglutination inhibition test. Except for herpes simplex vi rus and cytomegalovirus, the IM sera had significantly higher arithmet ical and geometrical mean antibody titres and showed in most cases hig her antibody prevalences in the CFT. The titre rise was most pronounce d for rubella and measles antibodies, between 2- and 3-fold. There wer e no cases of very high titres occasionally seen in IM. The IM sera ha d higher total IgG serum levels than the controls, 17.27 g/l and 11.8 g/l, respectively (P < 0.001). The present data show that in addition to previously reported high levels of some autoantibodies and of heter ophilic antibodies, there is a more general increase in IgG antibodies to commonly occurring viruses. This increase is most likely due to th e polyclonal activation of 13-lymphocytes following the binding of EBV to the complement receptor CR2 (CD21). When due consideration is give n to the possible occasional occurrence of a false positive rubella Ig M test. the raised antibody-litres will most likely not interfere with routine diagnostics.