Some observations on complement-fixing antibodies to the EB virus

Abstract

Complement-fixing antibodies against an antigen prepared from the EB3 line of cultured Burkitt tumour cells were studied in various groups of patients and control individuals. Higher antibody titres were observed in patients with Burkitt's tumour than in African patients with other diagnoses. Significantly more medical students and nurses with a history of infectious mononucleosis possessed antibodies than those with no such history. Low levels of antibody were observed in patients during the acute phase of infectious mononucleosis and these levels were significantly lower than those in patients admitted to the same hospital with other diagnoses.During the early months following the acute phase of illness, EB complement-fixing antibodies remained stationary or apparently declined in titre but, in patients tested one or more years later, significantly higher antibody levels were observed.

EB-virus-specific IgM and IgG antibodies in first-degree relatives of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

“…The sources of sera from patients with IM, from relatives of leukaemic children, and from controls have been described previously (Sutton et al, 1969(Sutton et al, , 1971. Sera from 2 apparently healthy mothers of children attending hospital were also included as controls.…”

Immune response in families of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

“…Antibody was also present in 100% of the control mothers and fathers. No one had an abnormally high antibody titre (about 1/256) as reported in some patients with Burkitt's tumour (Sutton et al, 1971b).…”

“…There is no evidence of lack of response to Epstein-Barr virus in leukaemia families, and median titres by both complement-fixing and fluorescent antibody methods for parents and sibs show no great difference from the controls. Sutton et al, (1971b) showed positive complement-fixing titres against Epstein-Barr virus in 89% of hospital patients over the age of 25 and in 75% of nurses and medical students aged 24 to 28, with lower percentages in younger subjects. If, as seems likely, the incidence of antibody to Epstein-Barr virus rises with the age of the population tested, it is not surprising that the incidence of antibodies in the leukaemia parents, whose average age was about 33 years, was 100%.…”

“…Lymphocyte transformation rates were measured visually by a modification of the method of Pentycross (1968). Assessment of antibody to herpes simplex virus was made by complement fixation by Dr. P. Sequeira, and levels of antibody to Epstein-Barr virus were assessed by both complement fixation and fluorescence by Dr. R. N. P. Sutton (Sutton, Marston, and Emond, 1971b;Sutton et al, 1971a). Inquiries were also made for a family history of allergy in view of reports that malignant disease is less frequent in individuals with a history of allergy (Fisherman, 1960;MacKay, 1966).…”

Antibodies to Epstein-Barr and other viruses in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

“…Antigens and control sera were provided by the Standards Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, London, except for rubella haemagglutinating and cytomegalovirus and EB virus complement-fixing (CF) antigens which were prepared and assayed by methods described elsewhere (Sutton, Marston, and Emond, 1971b;Sutton, Darby, and Gumpel, 1971a). Rubella haemagglutination inhibiting antibodies were estimated by the method of Stewart et al (1967).…”