You are feeling very tired and lethargic. You believe you might have mononucleosis. The results of your blood test show that you have IgG antibodies against EBV, the virus that causes mononucleosis, but no IgM. Is mononucleosis likely to be the cause of these symptoms?
Answer
Laboratory mice are immunized with a measles vaccine. When the mice are challenged with measles virus to test the strength of their immunity, the memory cells do not completely prevent replication of the measles virus. The virus undergoes a few rounds of replication before the immune response is observed. You have developed a strain of mice with a much faster response to a viral challenge, but these mice often develop an autoimmune disease. Speculate on the connection between speed of response and an autoimmune disease.
Answer
To learn more about the book this website supports, please visit its Information Center.