EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS AND HUMAN MALIGNANCIES NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1985. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS AND HUMAN MALIGNANCIES

Adv Viral Oncol; 5:201-38 1985. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/85611489
Henle W; Henle G; Joseph Stokes, Jr., Res. Inst., The Children's Hosp. of; Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104


Abstract: The available evidence for an association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with various human malignancies is discussed. Methods used to link EBV with malignancies include demonstration of viral antigens and nucleic acids in tumors and EBV-specific serology. EBV-associated lymphomas include Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) and B-cell lymphomas (genetic immunodeficiencies, iatrogenic immunodeficiencies of organ transplant recipients, disease-related immunodeficiencies, and B-cell lymphomas at immunologically privileged sites). EBV-associated carcinomas include nasopharyngeal carcinoma and other carcinomas of the head and neck. EBV becomes associated with human malignancies in at least three different ways: (a) EBV induces uncontrolled diffuse polyclonal proliferation of EBV-genome-carrying B lymphocytes, also referred to as immunoblastic lymphadenopathy, immunoblastic lymphosarcoma, or diffuse malignant lymphoma; (b) EBV serves as an initiator in BL, a monoclonal tumor apparently arising from single, EBV-genome-carrying B lymphocytes in response to a second factor (promoter) whose nature has not been identified (this event may cause the regularly observed translocation between chromosome 8 and chromosome 14, or less frequently 2 or 22); (c) EBV is found to be causally related to undifferentiated carcinomas of the nasopharynx and some undifferentiated carcinomas of the salivary glands and thymus. There is evidence that some nasopharyngeal epithelial cells have receptors for EBV and can be productively infected by the virus, but epithelial cells have not been transformed in vitro into EBV-genome-positive cells with a permanent growth potential. EBV genomes may be introduced into nasopharyngeal epithelial cells by fusion with latently infected, viral EBV-genome-carrying B lymphocytes or with latently-infected transforming virus particles. This fusion could be occasionally caused by paramyxoviruses or other viruses with similar properties during acute respiratory infections. (280 Refs)
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/COMPLICATIONS Adult Antibodies, Viral/ANALYSIS Antigens, Viral/ANALYSIS Ataxia Telangiectasia/COMPLICATIONS Burkitt's Lymphoma/COMPLICATIONS/*IMMUNOLOGY Carcinoma/ETIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY Chediak-Higashi Syndrome/COMPLICATIONS Child Child, Preschool DNA, Viral/ANALYSIS Head and Neck Neoplasms/ETIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY *Herpesviridae Infections Herpesvirus 4, Human/GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT/GENETICS/*IMMUNOLOGY Human Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes/COMPLICATIONS Infant Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/*ETIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY Transplantation Immunology Virus Activation JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW

KWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/complicationsadultantibodies,viral/analysisantigens,viral/analysisataxiatelangiectasia/complicationsburkitt'slymphoma/complications/KWDimmunologycarcinoma/etiology/immunology/microbiologychediak-higashisyndrome/complicationschildchild,preschooldna,viral/analysisheadandneckneoplasms/etiology/immunology/microbiologyKWDherpesviridaeinfectionsherpesvirus4,human/growth&development/genetics/KWDimmunologyhumanimmunologicdeficiencysyndromes/complicationsinfantnasopharyngealneoplasms/KWDetiology/immunology/microbiologytransplantationimmunologyvirusactivationjournalarticlereview
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Copyright © 1985 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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