Interaction of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with human B-lymphocytes

HIV-associated immune dysfunction and viral infection: role in the pathogenesis of AIDS-related lymphoma

HIV infection is associated with a much higher risk for the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (AIDS-NHL). The principal causes of lymphomagenesis in HIV-infected individuals are thought to be the loss of immune function seen in HIV infection, which results in the loss of immunoregulation of Epstein-Barr virus-infected B cells, as well as HIV infection-associated immune dysregulation, including chronic B-cell activation. In this review, we discuss recent reports that further support the importance of these factors, and we highlight emerging evidence of different mechanisms that potentially drive lymphomagenesis in HIV-infected individuals.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated B-cell lymphomas: pathogenesis and clinical outcomes

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous human γ-herpesvirus that establishes a life-long asymptomatic infection in immunocompetent hosts. It is also found to be frequently associated with a broad spectrum of B-cell lymphomas predominantly seen in immunodeficient patients. Despite many resemblances, these EBV-linked lymphoproliferative disorders display heterogeneity at the clinical and the molecular level. Moreover, EBV-associated lymphoproliferative diseases differ in their differential expression patterns of the EBV-encoded latent antigens, which are directly related to their interactions with the host. EBV-driven primary B-cell immortalization is linked to the cooperative functions of these latent proteins, which are critical for perturbing many important cell-signaling pathways maintaining B-cell proliferation. Additionally, it is used as a surrogate model to explore the underlying mechanisms involved in the development of B-cell neoplasms. Recent discoveries have revealed that a number of sophisticated mechanisms are exploited by EBV during cancer progression. This finding will be instrumental in the design of novel approaches for therapeutic interventions against EBV-associated B-cell lymphomas. This review limits the discussion to the biology and pathogenesis of EBV-associated B-cell lymphomas and the related clinical implications.

Recent Advances in the Pathobiology of Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Potential Impact on Diagnostic, Predictive, and Therapeutic Strategies

From its first description by Thomas Hodgkin in 1832, Hodgkin's disease, now called Hodgkin's lymphoma, has continued to be a fascinating neoplasm even to this day. In this review, historical aspects, epidemiology, diagnosis, tumor biology, new observations related to host-microenvironment interactions, gene copy number variation, and gene expression profiling in this complex neoplasm are described, with an exploration of chemoresistance mechanisms and potential novel therapies for refractory disease.