The Journal of experimental medicine
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The autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) is severely impaired in patients with acute infectious mononucleosis. Reactivity returned during the course of convalescence. ⋯ B cells from patients with infectious mononucleosis do not stimulate autologous T-cell proliferation, and this observation appears to explain the cellular basis of the impaired autologous MLR in infection. Two explanations for the B-cell defect were considered: (a) the influence of serum factors on B-cell function and (b) the effect of Epstein-Barr virus infection.