A positive correlation between the precursor frequency of cytotoxic lymphocytes to autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells and antibody titer level against Epstein-Barr virus-associated nuclear antigen in healthy seropositive individuals

Kusunoki Y, Huang H, Fukuda Y, Ozaki K, Saito M, Hirai Y, Akiyama M
Microbiol Immunol 37(6):461-9, 1993

Summary

A limiting dilution analysis was established to determine the precursor frequency (PF) of cytotoxic lymphocytes against autologous B cells transformed with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). This method was found to detect mainly self-restricted T-cell activity and little non-self-restricted cytotoxicity. The mean PF in 21 healthy EBV-seropositive persons was 1.4 x 10^-3 (range: 0.03 x 10^-3 to 8.7 x 10^-3) for peripheral blood mononuclear cells, whereas 4 samples of mononuclear cells obtained from umbilical cord blood had PFs below 0.007 x 10^-3. A positive correlation was observed between the PF and serum antibody titers against EBV-associated nuclear antigen among the seropositive persons. A limiting dilution analysis was established to determine the precursor frequency (PF) of cytotoxic lymphocytes against autologous B cells transformed with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). This method was found to detect mainly self-restricted T-cell activity and little non-self-restricted cytotoxicity. The mean PF in 21 healthy EBV-seropositive persons was 1.4 x 10^-3 (range: 0.03 x 10^-3 to 8.7 x 10^-3) for peripheral blood mononuclear cells, whereas 4 samples of mononuclear cells obtained from umbilical cord blood had PFs below 0.007 x 10^-3. A positive correlation was observed between the PF and serum antibody titers against EBV-associated nuclear antigen among the seropositive persons.