Coinfection with multiple strains of the Epstein-Barr virus in human immunodeficiency virus-associated hairy leukoplakia.
Epstein-Barr virus DNA was analyzed from specimens of hairy leukoplakia, an oral lesion that occurs in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. The simultaneous presence of both type 1 and type 2 Epstein-Barr virus was demonstrated by Southern blot analysis and polymerase chain reaction assay. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in the BamHI WYH region and in clones of the EcoRI C region suggested the presence of multiple strains of type 1 and type 2 viruses. The demonstration of multiple variably sized BamHI H fragments on Southern blot analysis and cloning of the EBNA-2 gene coding region also suggested the presence of multiple viral strains or variants coinfecting hairy leukoplakia. Recombination of the viral genome in and around the EBNA-2 gene apparently generated viral variants that replicated efficiently, one of which appeared to increase in abundance in a lesion over time. These data indicate that hairy leukoplakia involves coinfection with multiple strains of replicating Epstein-Barr virus and the endogenous generation of viral variants, some of which have mutations of the EBNA-2 gene.
Walling
D M
DM
Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7295.
Edmiston
S N
SN
Sixbey
J W
JW
Abdel-Hamid
M
M
Resnick
L
L
Raab-Traub
N
N
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides