Transient lupus anticoagulant induced by Epstein-Barr virus infection.

A 25-year-old woman presented with an episode of left calf deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary thrombosis. She was found to have a lupus anticoagulant with anticardiolipin antibodies, some autoimmune antibodies and antibodies for primary Epstein-Barr (EB) virus infection. Six months later, lupus anticoagulant and other autoimmune antibodies were found to be negative and EB virus antibodies were shown to be seroconverted. We suggest that the transient presence of lupus anticoagulant was due to EB virus infection caused by activation of polyclonal B-lymphocytes.