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Updated: May 31, 2026

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
Published on: September 7, 2022
B-cell polyclonal activation and Epstein-Barr viral abortive lytic cycle are two key features in acute infectious
Yassine Al Tabaa1, Edouard Tuaillon, Eric Jeziorski
1Université Montpellier 1, 34967 Montpellier, France; CHU Montpellier, Département de Bactériologie-Virologie, 34295 Montpellier, France.
Background:
Acute infectious mononucleosis (AIM) is generally associated with a large EBV B cell reservoir cells and an intense B-cell polyclonal activation whereas the number of quiescent EBV-infected memory B cells in chronically EBV-infected healthy controls is very low.
Objectives:
To evaluate the extent and functionality of ex vivo B-cell polyclonal activation, quantify the EBV DNA integrated in B cells, enumerate the functional EBV DNA reservoir in B cells and circulating B cells spontaneously secreting EBV antigens in AIM.
Study Design:
Circulating B cells and B cells differentiating into plamablasts and plasma cells, early (BZLF1)- and late viral antigen (gp350)-secreting-cells (SCs) were enumerated in six AIM patients and seven healthy EBV carriers.
Results:
In vitro B-cell polyclonal activation induced 8000-24,000 BZLF1- and 1000-3000gp350-SCs/10(6) B cells, respectively. These data suggest that only 11.1-19.5% of cells expressing BZLF1 synthesized gp350 and so completed the EBV-lytic cycle. Furthermore, circulating spontaneous BZLF1- and gp350-SCs that reflect ongoing viral replication were rare (20-120 and 10-30/10(6) B cells, respectively), and their low numbers contrasted with the high levels of circulating plasma cells (1.1-10.2% of CD19(+) B cells).
Conclusion:
The in vivo terminal-B-cell differentiation into plasma cells could unmask EBV B-cell reservoir to specific cytotoxic T-cell response and combined with a predominant abortive functional-EBV-reservoir, strongly contribute to rapid decay of cellular EBV reservoir in AIM.
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