Detection of Epstein-Barr virus genome in benign polyclonal proliferative T cells of a young male patient

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA was detected in polyclonal T cells that proliferated transiently in a 21-year-old male (referred to as H.J.) who underwent an apparently benign lymphocytosis (white blood cells, 31 x 10(6)/microL; lymphocyte, 79%) with fever, tonsillar swelling, lymphadenopathy, and hepatosplenomegaly. The symptoms and signs subsided mostly within a month of hospitalization. The major population of the lymphocytes at admission was positive for CD3, CD8 (4/8 ratio, 0.16), WT31, and DR antigen. Eight percent of the leukocytes were too blastoid to be classified as atypical lymphocytes of infectious mononucleosis (IM). The blastoid lymphocytes and the duration and degree of the lymphocytosis and hypergammaglobulinemia appeared inconsistent with IM, whereas the EBV serology indicated either EBV primary infection or a secondary alteration of normal seropositive EBV immunity. The genomic analysis of T-cell receptor beta chain in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) at admission with a C beta probe did not show a monoclonal rearrangement. EBV genome was detected in these cells, using the BamHI W and K probe, but not in the cells after discharge. Analysis of the EBV terminal repeat junctional sequence, using Xho I fragment of the latent membrane protein (LMP) probe binding with the terminus, did not show monoclonal or oligoclonal populations. EBV-associated nuclear antigen (EBNA) was detected in 36% of the PBMC at admission, but not in the later cells. These EBNA- positive cells were found to form rosette with sheep erythrocytes. The PBMC of six acute IM patients contained neither EBV DNA nor EBNA- positive cells. The observations in this case show a unique type of EBV infection in T cells that has not been previously reported.