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Immune responses to Epstein–Barr virus lytic proteins in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Author(s) -
Liu MeiYing,
Huang YuTzu,
Sheen TzungShiahn,
Chen JenYang,
Tsai ChingHwa
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.20128
Subject(s) - lytic cycle , nasopharyngeal carcinoma , immune system , biology , virology , antigen , virus , epstein–barr virus , antibody , immunology , population , cellular immunity , medicine , environmental health , radiation therapy
Immune responses to three Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) lytic proteins, DNase, thymidine kinase (TK), and BMRF‐1 gene products (50/52 kDa diffused early antigen, EA‐D complex) were determined in EBV‐infected control individuals and patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Immunofluorescence assays (IFA) were used to detect their humoral immune responses using recombinant EBV lytic proteins expressed in a baculovirus system as antigens. Cell proliferation assays were performed to evaluate their cellular immune responses by monitoring 3 H‐thymidine incorporation. Seventy patients with NPC and 32 non‐cancer controls were analyzed. The results of IFA showed antibody titers to all three EBV lytic proteins to be higher in the patients with NPC especially for the IgA class. Positivity rates of the three IgA antibodies also were higher in the patients with NPC population. Furthermore, the profiles of the IgA antibodies correlated with those to total early antigens (EA) expressed in the early phase and viral capsid antigen (VCA) expressed in the late phase, of EBV replication. The most interesting finding was that antibody titers to the three EBV lytic proteins were associated significantly with metastases of cervical lymph nodes in patients with NPC. As for cellular immunity to the EA‐D complex and DNase, weak responses were observed in the cell proliferation assays. Peripheral blood cells from most individuals could not be stimulated to proliferate, except for a few patients with NPC whose antibody titers against the EA‐D complex and DNase also were very high. J. Med. Virol. 73:574–582, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.