FIG 3.

Acute EBV infection is associated with a global defect in conversion into antibody-secreting cells (ASC). PBMCs from IM patients and latent virus carriers were cultured in vitro for 6 days with a B-cell stimulation cocktail (pokeweed mitogen extract, Staphylococcus aureus protein A, CpG ODN 2006, and interleukin-10) to stimulate conversion into plasmablasts. Cultured cells were then assessed for the frequency of plasmablasts by flow cytometry or for the capacity to produce IgG by ELISPOT assay. Box-and-whisker plots represent the mean and range of either plasmablasts (A) or IgG-producing cells (B, C). Dots represent data from individual donors. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way analysis of variance. ***, P < 0.001; ****, P < 0.0001.