title: Distribution, persistence and interchange of Epstein-Barr virus strains among PBMC, plasma and saliva of primary infection subjects.
abstract: Our study aimed at investigating the distribution, persistence and interchange of viral strains among peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), plasma and saliva of primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection subjects. Twelve infectious mononucleosis (IM) patients and eight asymptomatic individuals (AS) with primary EBV infection were followed longitudinally at several time points for one year from the time of diagnosis, when blood and saliva samples were collected and separated into PBMC, plasma and saliva, representing circulating B cell, plasma and epithelial cell compartments, respectively. To survey the viral strains, genotyping assays for the natural polymorphisms in two latent EBV genes, EBNA2 and LMP1, were performed and consisted of real-time PCR on EBNA2 to distinguish type 1 and 2 viruses, fluorescent-based 30-bp typing assay on LMP1 to distinguish deletion and wild type LMP1, and fluorescent-based heteroduplex tracking assays on both EBNA2 and LMP1 to distinguish defined polymorphic variants. No discernible differences were observed between IM patients and AS. Multiple viral strains were acquired early at the start of infection. Stable persistence of dominant EBV strains in the same tissue compartment was observed throughout the longitudinal samples. LMP1-defined strains, China 1, China 2 and Mediterranean+, were the most common strains observed. EBNA2-defined groups 1 and 3e predominated the PBMC and saliva compartments. Concordance of EBNA2 and LMP1 strains between PBMC and saliva suggested ready interchange of viruses between circulating B cell and epithelial cell pools, whilst discordance of viral strains observed between plasma and PBMC/saliva indicated presence of viral pools in other undetermined tissue compartments. Taken together, the results indicated that the distribution, persistence and interchange of viral strains among the tissue compartments are more complex than those proposed by the current model of EBV life cycle.
authors: Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors: Hin
authors: H
authors: Kwok
authors: Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors: Koon Wing
authors: KW
authors: Chan
authors: Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors: Kwok Hung
authors: KH
authors: Chan
authors: Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors: Alan Kwok Shing
authors: AK
authors: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000821:virology; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000821:virology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010949:Plasma / Q000821:virology*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D019309:Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigens; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins