A re-examination of the Epstein-Barr virus carrier state in healthy seropositive individuals.

摘要: A panel of 24 healthy seropositive donors have been followed prospectively over a period 15 months and monitored (1) for the level EB virus shedding in throat by means sensitive cord-blood transformation assay; (2) virus-infected B cells blood via new vitro protocol where "spontaneous transformation" can be seen to titrate against input cell number; (3) anti-EB viral antibody titres (4) prevailing virus-specific memory T circulation. Six shed easily detectable levels into washings on every occasion testing, whilst 16 other lower majority (10 donors) or minority (6 test occasions; only 2/24 gave no evidence at any time. There was direct relationship between shedder status an individual (i.e., replication pharynx) number infected present These results indicate that chronic, usually low-grade, some permissive site oro- and/or naso-pharynx is very often stable accompaniment asymptomatic carrier state, may indeed essential long-term maintenance state.