[Immunological cell surface markers in infectious mononucleosis (author's transl)].

Using a direct immunofluorescence technique and a spontaneous rosette formation with sheep red blood cells it could be demonstrated that the large mononuclear cells in infectious mononucleosis consisted mainly of T-lymphocytes. It is likely that infectious mononucleosis represents a primary B-lymphcoyte infection with the Epstein-Barr virus like in the Burkitt lymphoma. In contrast to this malignant lymphoma, interaction in infectious mononucleosis leads to a secondary T-lymphocyte proliferation.