title: Characterization of Epstein-Barr virus-infected cells in benign lymphadenopathy of patients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: The authors investigated 25 benign lymph nodes in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect and characterize the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected cells. After ISH, 22 lymph nodes were found to contain various numbers of Epstein-Barr-encoded RNA (EBER)-positive cells. Most of these cells were B cells. In six lymph nodes with numerous EBV-infected cells, EBNA2-positive/LMP1-positive lymphoblastoid cells were detected by IHC. Exceptional cells (in two specimens) were positively labeled with antigen-Z Epstein-Barr replicative activator (ZEBRA) antibody or BamHI Left Frame 1/Not I (BHLF1/Not I) probes, indicating that EBV replication is not enhanced in the lymphocytes. In normal conditions (healthy individuals), small lymphocytes that express a restricted pattern of viral genes do escape immune response, whereas lymphoblastoid cells do not. Thus, impaired immune system may account for the late proliferation of lymphoblastoid cells (Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen [EBNA]2positive/latent membrane protein [LMP]1 positive) in HIV-infected patients, and could explain why EBV-driven, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occur more frequently in patients with low CD4-positive T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Purpan, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brousset
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schlaifer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roda
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Massip
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marchou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delsol
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006678:HIV / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D018951:Antigens, CD20; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017252:CD3 Complex; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins