Activation of lymphocytes from Epstein-Barr virus-seronegative donors by autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed cells.

The activation of peripheral lymphocytes by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed cells was tested in the autologous system. EBV-transformed cells activated autologous lymphocytes from all 10 healthy subjects regardless of their status of antibody to EBV. Lymphocytes from three neonates were also activated by autologous EBV-transformed cells. It was concluded that activation of lymphocytes by autologous EBV-transformed cells is a nonspecific phenomenon in the sense that prior infection by EBV is not a prerequisite for responsiveness of lymphocytes to autologous EBV-transformed cells. The responding cells were found predominantly in the T cell-enriched fraction. This finding is of no interest because the pathogenesis of, and recovery from, infectious mononucleosis may depend in part on this nonspecific phenomenon.