THE ASSOCIATION OF EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS (EBV) WITH T-CELL LYMPHOPROLIFERATIONS AND HODGKINS-DISEASE - 2 NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EBV FIELD

The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) genome is a linear double-stranded DNA molecule, 172 kb in length, encoding approximately 100 genes. EBV is able to establish both replicative and latent infections. This chapter discusses the association of EBV with T cell lymphoproliferations and Hodgkin's disease (HD). Delayed primary EBV infection results in the development of a transient lymphoproliferative disorder, clinically manifested as infectious mononucleosis. EBV can bind to infect both normal T cells and neoplastic T cell lines. If the virus can gain access to a T cell in vivo, it may be able to cause cellular transformation. A wide range of peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTL) types may be EBV positive, and these tumors show variability in their pattern of infection. The Hodgkin and Reed–Sternberg (HRS) cells are in a substantial fraction of HD cases infected with EBV. The infecting virus is usually monoclonal and infected HRS cells show the transcription of the EBV genome with translation of viral proteins. The infection is latent with a distinctive pattern of gene expression. One of the products of EBV gene expression in HRS cells is potentially oncogenic and immunogenic. EBV infection is associated with the histological subtype of HD. © 1993, Academic Press Inc.