Epstein--Barr antibodies

[Guest guest]

,

When a person has been exposed to the Epstein--Barr virus (and that

includes the vast majority of us), it goes into latency in some of

that person's B lymphocytes. These lymphocytes carry DNA for the

Epstein--Barr virus in their nuclei. The Epstein--Barr nuclear

antigen is part of the apparatus needed to maintain and express this

viral DNA. Antibodies are built up against these antigens, and

anyone who is carrying latent Epstein--Barr viruses will have these

antibodies at some level.

There are also several other antibodies associated with the Epstein--

Barr virus. These include antibodies to the so-called early antigen

and to viral coat antigen. By measuring the amounts of these

various antibodies, one can determine the status of the Epstein--

Barr virus in a person's body.

In PWCs, the most common situation is that they were exposed to the

Epstein--Barr virus sometime before they came down with CFS. They

may have had infectious mononucleosis, or they may have been exposed

when they were very young and may not have observed any symptoms.

In any case, most of them got over the infection and were carrying

Epstein--Barr virus as a latent infection at the time they came down

with CFS. The onset of CFS involves suppression of the Th1 immune

response (I suspect by glutathione and cysteine depletion), which is

the one used to control viral infections. This allows the latent

Epstein--Barr viral infection to be reactivated. Because the Th1

immune response continues to be suppressed, the Epstein--Barr viral

infection continues to be activated, and this can be shown by

measuring the amounts of the various antibodies that are present.

The Epstein--Barr nuclear antigen antibody is one of those that is

often highly elevated in persistent reactivated infections. Another

is the so-called early antigen antibody.

Rich

I have also been taking 1 gram of BHT every day to

> combat EBV. Has it worked? I had MDL testing and the PCR came

back negative

> but I never had PCR before I began so I don't know other than I

had very high

> levels of antibodies, IgG/IgM and nuclear. Btw, I still don't

understand

> what the hell nuclear is. Rich or anyone here, can you explain

this? My EBV

> couple months ago for instance showed 200 nuclear when below 20 is

negative.

> Anyway, I should probably have antibodies redone in 2-3 weeks

perhaps and see

> if the BHT really did eradicate EBV. If it did then I sure don't

feel like a

> new man from it and would be hard pressed to blame my CFS on EBV.