Nasal and Oral Nitric Oxide Levels During Experimental Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection of Adults

Nitric oxide (NO) is a recognized mediator of inflammation in diseases affecting the lower respiratory tract, and has been implicated in the expression of viral upper respiratory tract infections. Here, exhaled nasal and oral NO concentrations and nitrite concentrations in nasal lavage fluids were measured, symptoms were scored and pulmonary function was evaluated before (Day 0) and after (Days 1-8) experimental exposure of 17 adult subjects to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) type B. After exposure, RSV was recovered from 12 (70%) subjects by culture and or specific antigen detection. Both subjects with and those without RSV recovery developed increased nasal and throat symptoms after RSV exposure, but none evidenced changes in the three measures of NO concentration. These results do not support the hypothesis of increased NO production during RSV infection and complement earlier studies that reported a lack of change in nasal NO concentration during experimental influenza and rhinovirus infections.     

Infiltrations of Epstein-Barr virus-carrying cells in granular lymphocyte-proliferative disorders corresponding to chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection

A 21-year-old man with granular lymphocyte-proliferative disorders (GLPD) associated with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is described. Chromosomal analyses revealed several clonal abnormalities and two of them were mainly repetitious. High copy numbers of monoclonal EBV genome were also detected in the proliferative large granular lymphocytes (LGLs), indicating the monoclonal expansion of EBV-infected LGLs. The patient had an indolent course for several years, and there was no evidence of infiltrations of his bone marrow until the end stage. At autopsy, microscopic studies revealed marked infiltrations of LGL in the liver and spleen, and the infiltrating cells were NK-cell immunophenotype. The infiltrated LGLs showed latency I.