Human immunodeficiency virus-positive individuals with oral hairy leukoplakia are able to mount cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses to Epstein-Barr virus.
OBJECTIVE
Oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) is a white lesion of the tongue that is caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and occurs mainly in people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of OHL reflects the absence of EBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity.


METHODS
EBV-specific CTL responses were measured in HIV-positive homosexual men with OHL, HIV-positive homosexual men without OHL, and HIV-negative homosexual men. Also, the phenotypes of cells responsible for EBV-specific responses were studied.


RESULTS
Eighty percent (8/10) of HIV-positive subjects with OHL, 52% (12/23) of HIV-positive subjects without OHL, and 83% (15/18) HIV-negative subjects had a positive anti-EBV CTL response (P = 0.004, Kruskal-Wallis test). Two HIV-positive subjects showed a greater anti-EBV CTL response after developing OHL than before the appearance of OHL Additional experiments showed that CD8-positive T cells and CD4-positive T cells were responsible for the EBV-specific CTL responses.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show more EBV-specific CTL activities in HIV-positive individuals with OHL than in HIV-positive individuals without OHL. Whether the presence of EBV-specific CTL contributes to resolution of OHL remains to be clarified.
de Jong
A
A
Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
Palefsky
J M
JM
Stites
D P
DP
Nakagawa
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D017733:Leukoplakia, Hairy / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*