Identification of multiple Epstein-Barr virus-induced nuclear antigens with sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

By means of the protein immunoblot technique, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen (EBNA) could be identified in a variety of EBV-transformed cell lines with anti-EBNA-positive sera from normal donors. The molecular weight of EBNA expressed in each of the cell lines varied between 70,000 and 75,000 and was dependent upon the strain of infecting virus. In contrast, 15 of 21 sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis identified antigens in addition to EBNA. The most prominent of these antigens had molecular weights of 110,000 to 115,000 and 92,000. All of the EBV genome-positive cell lines except for QIMR-GOR and cell lines containing the P3HR-1 virus expressed these antigens. The antigens were not present in the EBV genome-negative Ramos and BJAB cell lines, nor were they identified with EBV seronegative sera, indicating that they were EBV related. There was no direct correlation between the presence of antibodies in sera to EBNA, viral capsid antigen or early antigen, and reaction with the 92,000-molecular-weight antigen in immunoblots, indicating that this antigen was distinct from previously described EBV-related antigens.