The Epstein‐Barr Virus (EBV) major envelope glycoprotein gp350/220‐specific antibody reactivities in the sera of patients with different EBV‐associated diseases

• Published in: International journal of cancer 1998-10, Vol.79 (5), p.481-486
• Main Authors: Xu, Jingwu, Ahmad, Ali, Blagdon, Marie, D'Addario, Mario, Jones, James F., Dolcetti, Riccardo, Vaccher, Emanuela, Prasad, U., Menezes, José
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibodies, Viral - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Epstein-Barr virus; Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens - immunology; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Herpesviridae Infections - immunology; Herpesvirus 4, Human - immunology; Humans; Immunoglobulin A - blood; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Medical sciences; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Tumor Virus Infections - immunology; Tumors; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology; Viral Matrix Proteins - immunology
• ISSN: 0020-7136; 1097-0215
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19981023)79:5<481::AID-IJC6>3.0.CO;2-X

gp350 of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) induces a strong immune response in EBV‐infected individuals, but relatively little is known about the clinical relevance of this response in patients with different EBV‐associated malignancies and other diseases. Using our gp350‐expressing cell clones, we studied gp350‐specific humoral immune responses in the sera of individuals with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), chronic symptomatic EBV infection (CEI), Hodgkin's disease (HD), acute infectious mononucleosis (IM) and healthy EBV‐seropositive individuals (HI). The titres of antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) antibodies were highest in HI followed by CEI, HD and NPC. EBV‐neutralizing (NA) and gp350‐specific IgG antibody profiles in these conditions were: CEI > HI > NPC > HD, whereas IgA titres were the highest in NPC sera followed by CEI and HD. The sera from IM patients were found to be negative for gp350‐specific ADCC and IgA activities. Sera from HI were also negative for gp350‐specific IgA. A significant positive correlation was found between serum gp350 IgA and viral capsid antigen IgA and a significant negative one between IgM and ADCC titres. High IgA titres were also found in CEI and EBV‐genome positive HD in addition to NPC. Importantly, gp350‐specific IgA titres were of prognostic value in NPC patients. Our data provide new insights about the clinical relevance of gp350‐specific immune responses in these diseases. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 79:481–486, 1998.© 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.