[An association between hepatitis-B antigen-negative infantile papular acrodermatitis and Epstein-Barr virus infection].

The virological studies on 23 patients with infantile papular acrodermatitis (IPA) without hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated antigens and antibodies were performed. The following results were obtained; 1) There was serological evidence of primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in 17 out of 23 cases (74%). 2) The regression assays was done in 5 cases of IPA and 10 cases of infectious mononucleosis known to be associated with primary EBV infection in order to investigate the development of EBV-specific killer T cell activity in the primary EBV infection. The results confirm the evidence for EBV-specific cellular immunity in both patients with IPA and infectious mononucleosis. 3) The in vitro transformation assays was also done in 4 cases of IPA and 10 cases of infectious mononucleosis. Incidence of in vitro spontaneous transformation in the presence of cyclosporin A was significantly higher in patients of IPA and infectious mononucleosis than in the EBV seropositive controls. These results confirm that EBV plays an important role on the pathogenesis of HBV-negative IPA.