Oshima M, Azuma H, Okuno A. High prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus type A strain with the 30 b.p. deletion of the latent membrane protein-1 gene in a Japanese population.
Pediatr Int 1999;
41:490-5. [PMID:
10530059 DOI:
10.1046/j.1442-200x.1999.01122.x]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The pathogenic activity of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with a characteristic 30 b.p. deletion of the latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) gene is controversial. We analyzed the LMP-1 gene and two major strains of EBV, type A and type B, in Japanese patients with EBV-associated disease.
METHODS
We directly sequenced the carboxy terminal part of the LMP-1 gene from 15 EBV-infected patients; 10 patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) and one patient each with Hodgkin's disease, B cell lymphoma, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS), AIDS and atypical EBV infection (atEBV). The EBV subtype was studied by determining the 3' divergence of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA)-2 using polymerase chain reaction primers.
RESULTS
Twelve of 15 patients had EBV with the 30 b.p. deletion and numerous point mutations of the LMP-1 gene, regardless of the disease. Two patients, one with IM and one with WAS, had EBV without the 30 b.p. deletion. One patient with atEBV had two types of LMP-1 gene, one with and one without the 30 b.p. deletion. Thirteen patients had EBV type A, the WAS patient had the type B strain and the atEBV patient had both types A and B. In the patient with atEBV, the two types of LMP-1 gene and two EBV subtypes were detected simultaneously.
CONCLUSIONS
The characteristic 30 b.p. deletion of the LMP-1 gene is not an important factor in the pathogenesis of EBV-associated diseases. The EBV type A strain with the 30 b.p. deletion of the LMP-1 gene is prevalent in the Japanese population.
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