Infection of human lung fibroblasts with Epstein-Barr virus causes increased IL-1beta and bFGF production

An association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and fibroblast proliferation in the interstitial spaces of the lung has been suggested in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. In this study we show that EBV can infect human lung fibroblasts in vitro. A primary-cultured human lung fibroblast cell line, designated CCD-32Lu, expressed EBV nuclear antigen 1 after coculture with lethally irradiated EBV producing cells. The infection further induced CCD-32Lu cells to produce the fibrogenic cytokines basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and interleukin-1beta. These findings indicate that lung fibroblasts may be a target for EBV infection and suggest that EBV may play a role in increased production of these cytokines and induce fibroblast proliferation in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.

Detection of lymphocytes productively infected with Epstein-Barr virus in non-neoplastic tonsils

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) persists for life in the infected host. Little is known about EBV reactivation and regulation of virus persistence in healthy individuals. We examined tonsils of chronic tonsillitis patients to detect EBV transcripts, EBV genomes and lytic proteins. LMP1 transcripts were observed in 11 of 15 specimens and BZLF1 transcripts were detected in six. Multiple copies of EBV genome equivalents per cell, and ZEBRA- and viral capsid antigen-positive cells were also detected in tonsillar lymphocytes. These results indicate that EBV productively infected cells may survive in the face of immune surveillance in the tonsils. Thus, EBV replication may occur in tonsillar lymphocytes, and tonsillar lymphoid tissues may play a role in the maintenance of EBV load in vivo.

Endoscopic management of nasal glioma in infancy

In the surgical treatment of nasal glioma, craniotomy has been recommended for excluding the possibility of intracranial extension of the lesion. We describe a case in whom intranasal glioma was successfully removed by endoscopic surgery without craniotomy at 4 months old. Intranasal endoscopic surgery is considered appropriate for the removal of intranasal glioma having no intracranial extension, since the procedure is less invasive and does not result in postoperative facial deformity. Intranasal endoscopic surgery is also proposed as the preferable procedure to craniotomy for excluding intracranial extension of intranasal glioma.

Possible involvement of IL-12 expression by Epstein-Barr virus in Sjögren syndrome

AIM

To determine the correlation between interleukin 12 (IL-12) expression and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in Sjögren syndrome.

METHODS

Indirect immunohistochemical technique, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunoblot analysis were used to investigate IL-12 expression by EBV activation, using 13 surgical specimens and four B cell lines.

RESULTS

Marked expression of IL-12 was found in the epithelial cells and the infiltrating B cells of salivary gland tissues from patients with Sjögren syndrome (six of 10 cases), but not in those from normal individuals (none of three cases). A striking topographic correlation between IL-12 and EBV was found. In addition, levels of IL-12 production by B cell lines were clearly enhanced by EBV activation in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

IL-12 expression closely reflects the intracellular event of EBV activation in Sjögren syndrome, and may contribute to the T helper cell type 1 (Th1) cytokine overexpression seen in this disease.

Behçet's disease and antibody titers to various heat-shock protein 60s

It has been suggested that the 65 kDa heat-shock protein (HSP) of Streptococcus in recurrent aphthae within the oral cavity may be involved in the uveoretinitis of Behçet's disease, possibly through sensitization of the immune system. To investigate this possibility, we examined serum antibody titers for various members of the 60 kDa family of HSPs and their implications with regard to a role for HSP60s in Behçet's disease. We isolated HSP60 of Streptococcus pyogenes from the margin of oral aphthae in one Behçet's disease patient with severe uveoretinitis and the HSP60s of Yersinia enterocolitica, retinoblastoma cell line clone Y79, and bovine retinal extract and investigated the reaction of each of these HSP60s with 100-fold diluted serum samples from 20 Behçet's disease patients using anti-HSP60 antibody titers determined by ELISA. The anti- Streptococcus HSP60 antibody and anti-retinal HSP60 antibody titers of the 100-fold diluted serum samples from the Behçet's disease patients were both significantly higher than those of similarly diluted serum samples from healthy donors. The results of the ELISA antibody titer assay showed that, although the various HSP60s share a common basic antigenicity, they differed in reactivity to the anti-HSP60 antibodies in the sera of the Behçet's disease patients. The results indicate that subtle but significant differences exist in the antigenicity of the various HSP60s tested, all of which share a common basic antigenicity and are of approximately the same molecular weight, and suggest that an immuno-cross-reaction between retinal and streptococcal HSPs and a related autoimmune response may be involved in the development of Behçet's disease.

Optical and magneto-optical properties of copper-nickel compound metal island films

The optical properties of copper Cu-Ni compound metal island (CMI) films composed of nanoclusters of an alloy of Cu and Ni have been experimentally investigated. The spectral characteristics of the Cu-Ni CMI films are intermediate between those of conventional Cu and Ni island films in visible and near-IR regions. In addition, the magneto-optic effect has been observed in the Cu-Ni CMI films. It is also shown that the Faraday rotation in the Cu-Ni CMI films can easily be controlled by selection of the mixture ratio of Cu and Ni.

Retrovirus in salivary glands from patients with Sjögren's syndrome

AIMS

To investigate the possibility of an immune response to retroviral antigens or of detecting retrovirus in Sjögren's syndrome.

METHODS

Retroviruses were sought in labial salivary glands and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with Sjögren's syndrome by immunoblotting assay, immunohistochemical assay, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse transcriptase (RT) activity assay, and transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTS

Sera from five of 15 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (33%) reacted against p24 group specific antigen (gag) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Labial salivary gland biopsy specimens from seven of the 15 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (47%) contained an epithelial cytoplasmic protein reactive with a monoclonal antibody to p24 of HIV. PCR was performed to detect HIV and human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) genes from salivary gland tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with Sjögren's syndrome. Mn2+ dependent, Mg2+ independent RT activity was detected in the salivary gland tissues in three of 10 patients. A-type-like retroviral particles were observed in epithelial cells of salivary glands by transmission electron microscopy. Target genes for HIV and HTLV-I were not found in any of the salivary gland tissues or peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Sjögren's syndrome patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest the presence of an unknown retrovirus similar to HIV in the salivary gland which might be involved in the pathogenesis of a subpopulation in Sjögren's syndrome.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) hypersensitivity of peripheral B lymphocytes in patients with EBV genome-positive Burkitt's lymphoma

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from four Japanese patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome-positive Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) during remission were exposed to the B95-8 strain of EBV. Maximum concentrations of the EBV-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) before cellular DNA synthesis were similar to those of healthy counterparts. Subsequently, EBV-immortalised cell lines were established. These immortalised lymphoblastoid cells were treated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and superinfected with the P3HR-1 strain of EBV. EBV early antigens (EA) and viral capsid antigen (VCA) were expressed in approximately 3-10 fold higher concentrations by these lymphoblastoid cells than by those from patients with other types of malignant neoplasia including EBV genome-negative BL and from healthy counterparts. Moderate to extremely high IgG antibody titres to EBV VCA as well as IgG antibodies to EA were demonstrated in these patients during the study. These results suggest that defective underlying cellular mechanisms for regulating the replication of EBV may be present in patients with EBV genome-positive BL.

Decreased cytoplasmic immunoglobulin A production during Epstein-Barr virus immortalization on lymphocytes from patients with ataxia-telangiectasia

Previously, we have reported significantly lower immunoglobulin (Ig) A production in supernatants of cultured lymphoblastoid cells using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) when compared to that of age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Here, we further assess the degree of cytoplasmic Ig production in these cells and also analyze it during the early phase of Epstein-Barr virus immortalization. All classes of cytoplasmic IgM, IgG, and IgA productions were demonstrated in cells from healthy controls. In contrast, cells from patients with AT showed only cytoplasmic IgM and IgG with low or nondetectable levels of IgA during and after the immortalizing process. These results suggest B lymphocytes bearing IgA are functionally immature and/or defective in patients with AT.

African Burkitt's lymphoma: a plant, Euphorbia tirucalli, reduces Epstein-Barr virus-specific cellular immunity

Endemicity of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) coincides with profusion of a plant Euphorbia tirucalli in tropical Africa. E. tirucalli contains 4-deoxyphorbol ester that enhances Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of B lymphocytes. In this study, we found that 4-deoxyphorbol ester reduced EBV-specific cytotoxic T-cell function. Furthermore, the B lymphocytes dually exposed to EBV and 4-deoxyphorbol ester were resistant to EBV-specific T cell cytotoxicity, through down-regulation of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), the major target to EBV-specific cytotoxic T-cells. These immunologic findings strengthen the notion that E. tirucalli may be an important environmental risk factor for the genesis of African BL.

Epstein-barr-virus hypersensitivity of lymphocytes from patients with ataxia-telangiectasia

Ataxia telangiectasia (AT), an autosomal recessive disorder with a high incidence of lymphoreticular malignancies including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD), was investigated to assess the susceptibility to EBV infection and oncogenesis. When the patients' lymphocytes were infected with B95-8 EBV, there was a tendency toward an enhanced growth in semisolid agar, as compared with the healthy donor counterparts. Among the preparations tested, from 14 patients, 2 cell lines showed extremely high colony forming efficiency. The lymphocytes from patients with AT did not contain a large number of EBV target cells, as determined by the maximum frequency of EBV-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) induction prior to cellular DNA synthesis. Fourteen different lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from the 14 patients with AT were then examined for their EBV inducibility and superinfectibility. By treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate TPA) and culturing at a lower temperature of 33-degrees-C, early antigen (EA) induction occurred approximately 6-fold and 5-fold higher, respectively, as compared with the lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from healthy controls. Viral capsid antigen (VCA) was also induced significantly by TPA or culturing at lower temperature in the lines from patients with AT, but only slightly in the control counterparts. When the lymphoblastoid cells from patients with AT were exposed to P3HR-1 EBV, EA and VCA syntheses were approximately 6- and 12-fold higher, respectively, than those in the cells derived from the healthy controls. This evidence suggested B lymphocytes of patients with AT were highly susceptible to EBV infection and possibly linked to the development of EBV-induced LPD.

High irradiation sensitivity of epstein-barr-virus (ebv) in lymphoblastoid-cells from patients with ataxia-telangiectasia and ebv genome-positive burkitts-lymphoma

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from the peripheral blood of patients with ataxia telangiectasia (AT) and EBV genome-positive Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) were tested for expression of EBV-related lytic antigens by means of irradiation. We used 1 Gy in each experiment, according to the results of the P3HR-1 (derived from African BL) cell line. Significantly higher expression of early antigens (EA) and viral capsid antigen (VCA) was demonstrated in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from both patients with AT and those with EBV genome-positive BL, as compared to those derived from healthy individuals. These results suggested that defective regulating mechanisms on B lymphocytes, responsible for EBV infection, may underlie for the pathogenesis of development of lymphoproliferative diseases both in patients with AT and EBV genome-positive BL.

High Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) susceptibility of both lymphoblastoid and lymphoma cell lines derived from a Japanese patient with EBV genome-positive Burkitt's lymphoma

A Lymphoma cell line from the tumor tissue was established spontaneously from a Japanese patient with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome-positive Burkitt's lymphoma (BL). Additionally lymphoblastoid cell lines from peripheral blood of this patient were established either spontaneously or by in vitro infection with B95-8 EBV. Lymphoma cells showed monoclonal surface immunoglobulins (kappa and gamma) with specific chromosomal translocations, t (8; 14). In contrast, lymphoblastoid cells expressed polyclonal surface immunoglobulins without specific chromosomal abnormalities. Lymphoma cells made colonies in soft agarose approximately 10 times more than those of the lymphoblastoid cells. When each cell line was cultured at lower temperature of 33 degrees C, treated with 12-O-tetradecanoyl- phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), and superinfected with P3HR-1 EBV, all cell lines expressed 5 to 10 times higher levels of EBV early antigens (EA) and viral capsid antigen (VCA) than lymphoblastoid cell lines from healthy controls. Furthermore, lymphoblastoid cell lines obtained from peripheral blood of this patient during the period of remission also exhibited high EA and VCA inducibility and superinfectibility. These findings suggested that the lymphoid cells in this patient were genetically highly susceptible to EBV infection, and this evidence possibly linked to the lymphomagenesis of EBV genome-positive BL.

Establishment of HIV-1-producing cells from peripheral mononuclear cells cultured with normal human serum

Normal human serum (NHS) contributed to the establishment of cells producing HIV-1 under the conditions of coculture of peripheral mononuclear cells (PMC) from HIV-1 seropositive patients and of PHA-prestimulated or -non-stimulated PMC from seronegative healthy donors. No addition of IL-2 and Polybrene was necessary. Since, in the case 90101, the mitochondrial displacement-loop DNA showed identical sequences in the established cells and the HIV-1 seropositive patient's cells, it can be asserted that the HIV-1-producing cells originated from the patient. These cells are still releasing HIV-1-virion more than one year after their establishment.

Frequent association of Epstein-Barr virus in Japanese patients with Burkitt's lymphoma

Seven Japanese patients with Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), residing in Hokkaido, were studied during the period, 1979-1991. Immunological analyses of their lymphoma cells showed all to express surface and/or cytoplasmic immunoglobulins. Chromosomal analysis was performed in five cases. Four of the five lymphomas had the chromosomal translocation, t(8;14), and one had t(2;8). Three patients had extremely high IgG antibody titers to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viral capsid antigen (VCA) and to EBV early antigens (EA). Two patients had positive antibodies to EA, and two others had normal antibody patterns comparable to those of EBV-seropositive age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Four of the seven lymphomas (57.1%) were positive for EBV-determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) by anticomplement immunofluorescence and/or EBV DNA using DNA-DNA reassociation kinetics, and/or Southern blot analysis. The frequency of EBV positivity in BL patients residing in Hokkaido was higher than that of cases previously reported in Japan. Three of the four EBV genome-positive BL patients responded well to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or surgical treatment, with no significant relapse being observed during the study period. In contrast, EBV genome-negative patients had poor prognoses despite having similar levels of clinical staging at the time of diagnosis.

[Detection of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in salivary gland tumors]

To evaluate the relations between salivary gland tumors and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the levels of EBV-related antibodies were examined, and detection of EBV nuclear antigen (EBNA) and EBVDNA in tumor tissue was attempted by the anti-complement immunofluorescence technique and polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The mean VCA-IgG antibody level was increased to 925 (80-2560) in Warthin's tumor, 496 (40-2560) in mucoepidermoid tumor, and 206 (40-640) in pleomorphic adenoma. The positive rate of EA-IgG was high in Warthin's and mucoepidermoid tumors. VCA-IgA antibody was positive in 2 of the 7 cases of Warthin's tumor. EA-IgA antibody was negative in all cases. EBVDNA was detected in 7 of the 7 cases of Warthin's tumor, 3 of the 5 cases of mucoepidermoid tumor, and 2 of the 26 cases of pleomorphic adenoma. A relationship between Warthin's tumor and EBV was suggested by the 100% detection rate of the viral DNA.

High correlation in antibody titers between the Sabin-Feldman dye test and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detecting immunoglobulin G antibodies to the nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase of Toxoplasma gondii

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect immunoglobulin G antibodies against nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase, which is a specific and dominant antigen of Toxoplasma gondii, was developed, and the sensitivity and specificity of the test were compared with those of the Sabin-Feldman dye test. One hundred percent agreement was observed in comparative study between those tests on 37 positive and 50 negative human sera. Antibody titers in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test, which were expressed as the reciprocal of the highest positive dilution of serum, were just 100 times those in the dye test on 81% (30 of 37) of the positive sera.

Mass spectrometric identification of a phorbol diester 12-O-hexadecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, an Epstein-Barr virus-activating substance, in the soil collected from under Sapium sebiferum

Soil-extracts collected from the ground from under several Euphorbiaceae plants have been known to possess Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-activating substances which are thought to be one of the environmental co-factors causing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in southern part of China and Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) in tropical Africa. Then, a model experiment aimed at chemical characterization of such active substances was carried out using a soil-extract around Sapium sebiferum, a Japanese representative Euphorbiaceae plant. Chromatographic separation guided by the EBV early antigen (EA) inducing activity gave a highly active fraction. Application of this fraction to desorption chemical ionization mass spectrometry identified a major active substance to be 12-O-hexadecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (HPA), which originally occurs in this plant. The method in this model experiment is suggested to be applicable to other samples from the endemic areas of NPC and BL.

Chromosome translocation and c-MYC activation by Epstein-Barr virus and Euphorbia tirucalli in B lymphocytes

Dual exposure to Epstein-Barr virus and purified 4-deoxyphorbol ester derived from the plant Euphorbia tirucalli induced a high frequency of chromosomal rearrangements in human B lymphocytes in vitro. Rearrangements most commonly affected chromosome 8, the chromosome most often showing structural changes in Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cells. E tirucalli is indigenous in parts of Africa where BL is endemic and may be an important risk factor for the disease.

[A senile case of B-cell lymphoma with high titers of an EB virus-associated antibodies]

An 83-year-old man suffering from general malaise and discomfort in the epigastrium was admitted to hospital. On testing, peripheral blood and bone marrow smears disclosed a number of abnormal lymphocytoid cells, and a CT and a linear echo scan revealed splenomegaly and a multiple intraperitoneal lymphadenopathy, although no superficial lymph nodes were palpable. Further, abnormal lymphocytoid cells were positive for B1, B4, OKIa1, Leu1, Tac, anti-IgM, anti-IgD, and anti-lambda. Thus, a diagnosis of malignant lymphoma of the intermediate B-cell type was made. Surprisingly, serological examination reveared extremely high titers of EB-virus associated antibodies (VCAIgG 20, 480x, VCAIgA 320x, EAIgG 2,560x), but no EBNA or virus particles were detected in the tumor cells, so that no direct relationship was established between the development of the tumor and the EBV infection.