Abstract
Epstein-Barr (EB) virus specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (EBV-CTL) activity and the effects of various lymphokines, OK-432 and indomethacin on EBV-CTL activity were examined in 10 children with chronic active EB-virus infection. And the results were as follows.
EBV-CTL activity of the patients was 10.7%; 5.6-20.4% (mean and the range from mean-1 SD to mean +1 SD) and was significantly lower than the EBV-CTL activity of 55 control group (22.9%; 12.6-41.7%), though EBV-CTL activity in 9 patients was included in the normal value (mean±2 SD of control group). Interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interferon α (IFN-α) activated EBV-CTL activity of the patients was 21.4% (mean) and 14.1%, and were also significantly lower than those of control group (38.0% and 35.5%). Though the grade of the augmentation of EBV-CTL by IL-2 and IFN-α were also low, more than 10% augmentation by IL-2 or IFN-α was achieved in 2 cases.
EBV-CTL activity was augmented by IFN-γ in 2 cases and OK-432 in one case, but indomethacin did not enhance EBV-CTL activity of any patients.
The killer cell activity of EB-virus non-primed effector cells of the patients was same as control group, and was not augmented by IL-2 or IFN-α either.
These results indicate that though EBV-CTL activity of the patients with chronic active EB-virus infection was hardly enhanced by IL-2 or IFN-α, these lymphokines may be useful in some patients because EBV-CTL activity was enhanced by IL-2, IFN-α, IFN-γ or OK-432 in a few patients.
