Replication of Epstein-Barr virus in human epithelial cells infected in vitro

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), a member of the herpes group of viruses and the aetiological agent of infectious mononucleosis, is usually thought of as a lymphotrophic virus with the ability to transform B lymphocytes. So the association of EBV with nasopharyngeal carcinoma is puzzling 1–4 , especially g...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1983-12, Vol.306 (5942), p.480-483
Main Authors: Sixbey, John W, Vesterinen, Ervo H, Nedrud, John G, Raab-Traub, Nancy, Walton, Leslie A, Pagano, Joseph S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antigens, Viral - analysis
Biological and medical sciences
Cells, Cultured
Cervix Uteri - cytology
Epithelium - microbiology
Epstein-Barr virus
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Herpesvirus 4, Human - growth & development
Herpesvirus 4, Human - immunology
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
letter
Microbiology
multidisciplinary
Pharynx - cytology
Replicative cycle, interference, host-virus relations, pathogenicity, miscellaneous strains
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Virology
Virus Replication
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Summary:Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), a member of the herpes group of viruses and the aetiological agent of infectious mononucleosis, is usually thought of as a lymphotrophic virus with the ability to transform B lymphocytes. So the association of EBV with nasopharyngeal carcinoma is puzzling 1–4 , especially given the lack of success of attempts to infect epithelial cells with EBV in culture 5,6 and the apparent lack of EBV receptors 7,8 on epithelial cells 5,6 . Circumvention of the apparent requirement for membrane receptors by techniques of transfection 9,10 , microinjection 11 and receptor transplantation 5 has clearly demonstrated that there is no inherent barrier to EBV replication in nonlymphoid cells, including epithelial cell types. Our ability routinely to detect EBV DNA by in situ hybridization in epithelial cells of the oropharynx from persons with acute infectious mononucleosis suggests that, In vivo , EBV regularly gains access to and replicates lytically in epithelial cells 12,13 . We report here in vitro evidence for direct infection by EBV and replication of the virus in cultured normal human epithelial cells.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/306480a0