Enhanced serological and virological findings of Epstein-Barr virus in patients with AIDS and AIDS-related complex

The potential involvement of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in AIDS was examined by determining the type of EBV-specific antibody responses and the EBV content or lymphoproliferative ability present in selected body fluids of patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex. The results were compared with two control groups. An enhanced antibody response to a broad spectrum of EBV antigens was found in patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex. The pattern of virus-specific antibody responses resembled that associated with a persistent or reactivated infection. The content of EBV in oropharyngeal secretions and the lymphoproliferative ability in peripheral blood from patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex was significantly greater than that from healthy controls and approached levels detected in the control group with infectious mononucleosis. These findings, together with recent reports of cellular-level interaction between EBV and human T lymphotropic virus type III, suggest that EBV may have a contributory role in these disorders.