| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Ten patients with severe chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection syndrome (SCAEBV) were studied. Five of these patients had relatively increased number of circulating CD4ィイD1+ィエD1 cells. All patients had EBV genome in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells, whereas only one healthy sero-positive individuals (10%) had EBV genome. Six patients demonstrated decreased NK cell activities. Because no EBV genome-positive lymphoblastoid cell line was established, the activities of EBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (EBV-CTL) were not investigated. During cultured period, cytopathic effects (CPE) were shown in all spontaneous cultures from patients. Adenovirus was isolated from two of these cultures.
Patients with SCAEBV often develop T cell or B cell proliferations including malignant lymphoma. The study of this project clarified following evidences; 1) EBV genome was demonstrated in peripheral blood from all patients examined, suggesting underlying active EBV infection. 2) Nevertheless, no EBV genome-positive cell line was established spontaneously because of CPE. 3) A small number of patients had active adenovirus infection. No other representative lymphotropic virus was identified. 4) immunologically, some patients showed relatively increased circulating T cells, and also demonstrated low NK cell activities.
Taken together, while in patients with SCAEBV active EBV infection was obviously observed, there were some heterogeneities. It will be important to further evaluate this enigmatic syndrome virologically and immunologically following the establishment of disease entity and also concerning the duration from the onset of disease.
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