Lymphocyte subpopulations in man. Expression of HLA-DR determinants on human T cells in infectious mononucleosis

In a study of lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood during infectious mononucleosis the lymphocytosis was found to be of T-cell origin (i.e. E-RFC), while the number of non T lymphocytes (i.e. EA-, EAC-RFC and SmIg + ve cells) was normal in 7 out of 8 patients. Ten patients were tested for the presence of HLA-DR determinants on their B and T cells and not only B lymphocytes but also a great part (31--75%) of T cells were lysed by the anti HLA-DR testsera, indicating that HLA-DR determinants are expressed on a population of T cells in IM patients. After recovery all patients were retested and showed a normal pattern of HLA-DR typing. This indicates an increase of HLA-DR antigens on T cells or a vigorous proliferation of a small DR-positive T-cell subpopulation during the acute stage of IM.