T lymphocyte anergy during acute infectious mononucleosis is restricted to the clonotypic receptor activation pathway

Abstract
The transient T cell anergy associated with acute infectious mononucleosis (IM) caused by the Epstein Barr virus has been analysed in a sample of 14 IM children. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from IM patients showed a significant specific impairment in their proliferative response to both phytohaemagglutinin (PHA; P P in vivo situations). This and other similar experimental approaches to transient secondary immunodeficiencies may help to unravel the physiopathological role of different surface molecules in T cell activation.