Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus in iridocorneal endothelial syndrome
C. S. Tsai, R. Ritch, S. E. Straus, H. D. Perry and F. Y. Hsieh
Department of Ophthalmology, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, NY 10003.
Antibody titers to Epstein-Barr virus were determined in 13 patients with
iridocorneal endothelial syndrome and in 13 healthy race-, age-, and
sex-matched controls. Both the geometric mean titer of IgG antibodies to
the Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen and the proportion with high titers
of IgG antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen (greater than or
equal to 1:640) were significantly higher in 12 seropositive patients with
iridocorneal endothelial syndrome than in 12 seropositive controls
(1/761:1/202, P = .001; 83.3%:8.3%, P less than .001). Ten of 12
seropositive patients with iridocorneal endothelial syndrome and five of 12
seropositive controls had antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus-induced early
antigens (greater than or equal to 1:10) (Fisher's Exact Test, P less than
.05), while four seropositive patients with iridocorneal endothelial
syndrome and one seropositive control had low to undetectable levels of
antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus-associated nuclear antigen (less than or
equal to 1:5) (P greater than .1). Antibody levels to cytomegalovirus or
measles virus were not different between patients with iridocorneal
endothelial syndrome and controls. Additional studies showed no evidence of
humoral immune disorder or collagen vascular disease in the patients with
iridocorneal endothelial syndrome. The serologic profiles suggest that the
patients with iridocorneal endothelial syndrome examined had a cellular
immune abnormality sufficient to permit reactivation of latent Epstein-Barr
virus infection and imply, but do not establish, a role for Epstein-Barr
virus infection in the pathogenesis of some cases of the iridocorneal
endothelial syndrome.
