TY - JOUR
T1 - Epstein-barr virus antibodies in whole blood spots
T2 - A minimally invasive method for assessing an aspect of cell-mediated immunity
AU - McDade, Thomas W.
AU - Stallings, Joy F.
AU - Angold, Adrian
AU - Costello, E. Jane
AU - Burleson, Mary
AU - Cacioppo, John T.
AU - Glaser, Ronald
AU - Worthman, Carol M.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - Objective: Study 1: Introduce and validate a method for measuring EBV p18-VCA antibodies in whole blood spots to provide a minimally invasive marker of cell-mediated immune function. Study 2: Apply this method to a large community-based study of psychopathology in children and adolescents. Methods: The EBV antibody method was evaluated through analysis of precision, reliability, stability, and comparisons with plasma and indirect immunofluorescence methods. The effects of life events on p18-VCA antibody level were considered in a subsample of 9, 11, and 13 year-old children participating in the Great Smoky Mountains Study in North Carolina. The subsample was stratified by age, sex, and degree of overall life strain. Results: Dried blood spots provided a convenient, sensitive, precise, and reliable method for measuring EBV p18-VCA antibody titer. Life events were positively associated with p18-VCA antibodies in girls but not in boys. Conclusions: The validity of the blood spot EBV p18-VCA antibody assay, as well as the ease of sample collection, storage, and transportation, may provide an opportunity for psychoneuroimmunology to explore a wider range of stress models in larger, community-based studies.
AB - Objective: Study 1: Introduce and validate a method for measuring EBV p18-VCA antibodies in whole blood spots to provide a minimally invasive marker of cell-mediated immune function. Study 2: Apply this method to a large community-based study of psychopathology in children and adolescents. Methods: The EBV antibody method was evaluated through analysis of precision, reliability, stability, and comparisons with plasma and indirect immunofluorescence methods. The effects of life events on p18-VCA antibody level were considered in a subsample of 9, 11, and 13 year-old children participating in the Great Smoky Mountains Study in North Carolina. The subsample was stratified by age, sex, and degree of overall life strain. Results: Dried blood spots provided a convenient, sensitive, precise, and reliable method for measuring EBV p18-VCA antibody titer. Life events were positively associated with p18-VCA antibodies in girls but not in boys. Conclusions: The validity of the blood spot EBV p18-VCA antibody assay, as well as the ease of sample collection, storage, and transportation, may provide an opportunity for psychoneuroimmunology to explore a wider range of stress models in larger, community-based studies.
KW - Cell-mediated immunity
KW - Life events
KW - Methods
KW - Psychoneuroimmunology
KW - Sex difference
KW - Stress
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U2 - 10.1097/00006842-200007000-00015
DO - 10.1097/00006842-200007000-00015
M3 - Article
C2 - 10949102
AN - SCOPUS:0033860946
SN - 0033-3174
VL - 62
SP - 560
EP - 568
JO - Psychosomatic Medicine
JF - Psychosomatic Medicine
IS - 4
ER -