Demonstration by single-cell PCR that Reed--Sternberg cells and bystander B lymphocytes are infected by different Epstein--Barr virus strains in Hodgkin's disease.
Epstein--Barr virus (EBV) is associated with Hodgkin's disease (HD). However, EBV-positive Reed--Sternberg (RS) cells and EBV-positive B lymphocytes co-exist in the same EBV-positive lymph node affected by HD. In a previous report, using total lymph node DNA, the presence of two distinct EBV strains was demonstrated, but their cellular localization (i.e. RS cells vs B lymphocytes) could not be determined. To address this question, three patients with EBV-associated HD were selected in the present study and single-cell PCR of the latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) gene from isolated RS cells was performed. In one case, it was clear that RS cells and B lymphocytes were infected by different EBV strains. In the two remaining cases, only one band was detected from total lymph node DNA. However, single-cell PCR showed that RS cells in each sample were infected by single EBV strains, which were different from those detected in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from EBV-positive B lymphocytes of lymph node cell suspensions from these two patients.
Faumont
Nathalie
N
Unité de Physiopathologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, UPR 2163-CNRS, CHU-Purpan, Avenue de Grande-Bretagne, 31059 Toulouse Cédex, France1.
Al Saati
Talal
T
Unité de Physiopathologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, UPR 2163-CNRS, CHU-Purpan, Avenue de Grande-Bretagne, 31059 Toulouse Cédex, France1.
Brousset
Pierre
P
Unité de Physiopathologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, UPR 2163-CNRS, CHU-Purpan, Avenue de Grande-Bretagne, 31059 Toulouse Cédex, France1.
Offer
Claudie
C
Unité de Physiopathologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, UPR 2163-CNRS, CHU-Purpan, Avenue de Grande-Bretagne, 31059 Toulouse Cédex, France1.
Delsol
Georges
G
Unité de Physiopathologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, UPR 2163-CNRS, CHU-Purpan, Avenue de Grande-Bretagne, 31059 Toulouse Cédex, France1.
Meggetto
Fabienne
F
Unité de Physiopathologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, UPR 2163-CNRS, CHU-Purpan, Avenue de Grande-Bretagne, 31059 Toulouse Cédex, France1.
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005814:Genes, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D016539:Reed-Sternberg Cells / Q000821:virology*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins