IMMUNIZATION OF COMMON MARMOSETS WITH EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS (EBV) ENVELOPE GLYCOPROTEIN GP340 - EFFECT ON VIRAL SHEDDING FOLLOWING EBV CHALLENGE

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the cause of infectious mononucleosis, is in volved in the pathogenesis of several human cancers, the highest frequ ency of association being found in undifferentiated nasopharyngeal car cinoma and endemic Burkitt's lymphoma. The development of animal model s in which potential vaccines can be tested is important. EBV infectio n of the common marmoset, using the M81 strain originally derived from a patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, induces a carrier state in t his animal. Persistent infection is characterized by the production of antibodies to viral antigens, and the secretion of EBV DNA into bucca l fluids. Following immunization with envelope glycoprotein gp340 deri ved from a bovine papilloma virus expression vector, prior to EBV infe ction, viral DNA was detected significantly less frequently in the buc cal fluids of immunized, than of nonimmunized, infected animals, indic ating that although the carrier state had not been abolished, it had b een altered. A reduction in virus load was also observed when offsprin g of seronegative, and on occasion seropositive, parents were immunize d neonatally, before EBV challenge. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.