title: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) gene expression in lymphoid B cells during acute infectious mononucleosis (IM) and clonality of the directly growing cell lines.
abstract: We examined the patterns of viral gene expression in acute infectious mononucleosis (IM) patients and the clonality of the directly growing EBV-carrying cell lines. Both low- and high-density EBV-carrying B cells obtained from the patients' tonsils expressed EBNA1, EBNA2 and LMP1. Like LCLs and immunoblastic B-cell lymphomas, the in vivo EBV-carrying low-density cells used only the latency III program for viral gene expression. The in vivo EBV-carrying high-density B cells used both the latency I program, as indicated by the QUK-, and the latency III program, as indicated by the YUK-EBNA1. This suggests that the lymphoid tissues contained not only proliferating immunoblasts but also cells programmed for latent viral persistence in vivo. EBV-carrying cells that grew directly into permanent cell lines in the presence of virus-neutralizing antibody and a late viral inhibitor were polyclonal, as indicated by JH rearrangement. Two of the high-density-derived lines had identical JH and TR patterns, indicating a common parental origin. Our investigation indicates that EBV-carrying cells divide and survive in a fully competent immune system during the outbreak of acute IM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Radiumhemmet, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. levin@minerva.data.ks.se
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laytragoon-Lewin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Avila-Carino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mellstedt
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D002460:Cell Line; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015870:Gene Expression; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017735:Virus Latency
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins