Abstract
Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PEL) of 12 normal young adults studied for 1 year after acute Epstein-Barr virus infection(EBV), responded differently from 12 age-matched normals to stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA 3 ug/ml) or pokeweed mitogen (PWM 20 ug/ml) when modified by histamine (HT 10-4 M) or hydrocortisone (HC 10-5 M). Measured monthly by tritiated thymidine incorporation, suppression of PHA stimulation index (SI) by HT in normals (32+/−19% SD of original PHA SI) was less in EBV patients : EBV-PHA + HT/PHA year ave.= 67+/−19% (p<0.001). EBV may have altered PEL HI and H2 receptors since neither cimetidine (C 10-4M) nor diphenhydramine (D 10-4M) addition could restore the original PHA SI. Further, normal PWM SI suppression by HT (58+/−22% of original PWM SI) was absent : EBV-PWM + HT/PWM year ave = 101+t/−21% ( p< 0.001). while C had no effect on PWM SI, D enhanced the PWM + HT cultures 2-3 times, during most of the year in only post-EBV PEL. Addition of HC to PHA cultures produced normal amounts of suppression (95%) after EBV. In contrast, normal suppression of PWM SI ( 49+/−18%) by HC addition was significantly lost ( p<0.001) at 1 and 4-5 months and at 1 year after EBV. These abnormal responses to HT and HC suggest that profound changes in lymphocyte behavior occur for at least 1 year during the normal recovery from acute EBV, and that they may be related to post-EBV symptoms. Their relationship to serum Immunoglobulin E content is being investigated.
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Williams, L., Shannon, B. & Powell, D. LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSES TO HISTAMINE AND CORTISONE ARE ALTERED FOR ONE YEAR FOLLOWING ACUTE EBV INFECTION. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 320 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00920
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00920