CHARACTERIZATION OF EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS-INFECTED CELLS IN BENIGN LYMPHADENOPATHY OF PATIENTS SEROPOSITIVE FOR HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS

The authors investigated 25 benign lymph nodes in patients infected wi th the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by in situ hybridization (IS H) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect and characterize the Epste in-Barr virus (EBV)-infected cells. After ISH, 22 lymph nodes were fou nd to contain various numbers of Epstein-Barr-encoded RNA (EBER)-posit ive cells. Most of these cells were B cells. In six lymph nodes with n umerous EBV-infected cells, EBNA2-positive/LMP1-positive lymphoblastoi d cells were detected by IHC. Exceptional cells (in two specimens) wer e positively labeled with anti-Z Epstein-Barr replicative activator (Z EBRA) antibody or BamHI Left Frame 1/Not I (BHLF1/Not I) probes, indic ating that EBV replication is not enhanced in the lymphocytes. In norm al conditions (healthy individuals), small lymphocytes that express a restricted pattern of viral genes do escape immune response, whereas l ymphoblastoid cells do not. Thus, impaired immune system may account f or the late proliferation of lymphoblastoid cells (Epstein-Barr nuclea r antigen [EBNA]2 positive/latent membrane protein [LMP]1 positive) in HIV-infected patients, and could explain why EBV-driven, acquired inm unodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occur mo re frequently in patients with low CD4-positive T cells. (C) 1996 by W .B. Saunders Company