Epstein-Barr Virus Genome Deletions in Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive T/NK Cell Lymphoproliferative Diseases
Wiyada Wongwiwat, Benjamin Fournier, Irene Bassano, Amr Bayoumy, Claudio Elgueta Karstegl, Christine T. Styles, Ray Bridges, Christelle Lenoir, David Boutboul, Despina Moshous, Bénédicte Neven, Teru Kanda, Rhys G. Morgan, Robert E. White, Sylvain Latour, Paul J. Farrell
Abstract
EBV contributes to several types of human cancer. Some cancers and nonmalignant lymphoproliferative diseases involving T or NK cells contain EBV. These diseases are relatively frequent in Japan and China and have been shown sometimes to have deletions in the EBV genome in the disease cells. We identify further examples of deletions within the EBV genome associated with T or NK cell diseases, and we provide evidence that the virus genomes with these deletions are most likely selected in the individual cases, rather than being transmitted between people during infection. We demonstrate EBV infection of cord blood T cells by highly characterized, cloned EBV genomes and suggest that transient infection of T cells may be part of normal asymptomatic infection by EBV in young children.