Analysis of circulating plasmablast and plasma cells, polyclonal immunoglobulin levels, and EBV DNA levels in HIV-infected patients with transient MG or persistent MG. (A) Gating strategy and phenotypes of circulating plasmablast and plasma cells. Circulating cells were stained with CD19, CD20, CD27, and CD138 monoclonal antibodies. Plasmablasts were identified as CD19⁺, CD20^–, CD27⁺, and CD138^– cells. Plasma cells were identified as CD19⁺, CD20^–, CD27⁺, and CD138⁺ cells. Plasma cells are large cells expressing higher levels of CD27 than memory B cells. Circulating plasma cells represented 0.1% to 5% of B cells in HIV-infected patients. (B) Plasmablasts and plasma cells in the blood of transient MG, persistent MG, and control patients. Percentage of plasmablasts and plasma cells among CD19⁺ B cells were determined. (C) Polyclonal immunoglobulin levels in patients with persistent and transient MG. Serum levels of gammaglobulins were determined by protein electrophoresis at least after 5 years of follow-up under ART. (D) EBV DNA load in plasma (Log copies/mL). (E) EBV DNA load in B cells (Log copies/10⁶ cells), numbers near plots indicate corresponded HIV RNA load. (F) EBV DNA in B-cell culture supernatant after 48 hours of culture. The ends of the boxes indicate the 25th and 75th percentiles, with a line at the median; error bars represent the 10th and 90th percentiles. **P < .05; *P > .05.