title: Epstein-Barr virus: a human pathogen inducing lymphoproliferation in vivo and in vitro.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a pathogen that is associated with several diseases in humans. It causes most heterophile-positive cases of infectious mononucleosis. The virus is associated with another lymphoproliferative disease, African Burkitt's lymphoma, and with a malignancy of the nasopharynx, nasopharyngeal carcinoma. EBV appears to be a causative agent for some fatal lymphoproliferations in congenitally immunodeficient people. One proliferating cell type in infectious mononucleosis is an EBV-infected B lymphoblast. The tumor cell in African Burkitt's lymphoma is also an EBV-infected B lymphoblast. In vitro, EBV induces and maintains blast transformation of human B lymphocytes. All EBV-transformed cells, whether infected in vivo or in vitro, share many (but not all) virus-associated characteristics. Studies can now be performed in vitro that permit analysis of the various EBV-transformed cells and the host's immune responses to them.
mesh_terms: D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000910:Antibodies, Heterophile; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens