A Rearranged Form of Epstein–Barr Virus DNA Is Associated with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
- 15 August 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Thoracic Society in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
- Vol. 166 (4), 510-513
- https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.2103058
Abstract
An association between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and productive Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection has been found previously. Productive EBV replication can be associated with a rearrangement in EBV genomes termed WZhet. We hypothesized that WZhet genomes might be present in patients with IPF. Thirty-nine patients with IPF, 26 lung transplant recipients, and 24 normal subjects were studied. When EBV DNA–positive lung tissue biopsies from IPF patients were analyzed, 11 of 18 (61%) were positive for WZhet. Buffy coat DNA analysis showed that 75–85% were EBV DNA–positive in both IPF and control groups. Buffy coat analysis for WZhet was positive in 16 of 27 (59%) IPF patients, compared with none of 32 lung transplant recipients and 1 of 24 (4%) normal blood donors (p ⩽ 0.001). There was thus a good correlation between the presence of WZhet in lung tissue and peripheral blood. However, there was no significant association between the presence of WZhet and immunosuppressive therapy. These data further confirm the association between active EBV infection and IPF and provide a potential marker in the peripheral blood for the tracking of EBV in this disease.This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- A Defective, Rearranged Epstein-Barr Virus Genome in EBER-Negative and EBER-Positive Hodgkin's DiseaseThe American Journal of Pathology, 2002
- Involvement of Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 in disease progression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosisThorax, 2000
- Viruses and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosisEuropean Respiratory Journal, 1997
- Epstein-Barr virus associated graft failure following heart/lung transplantation.Thorax, 1996
- Epstein-Barr virus replication within pulmonary epithelial cells in cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis.Thorax, 1995
- Thymic Carcinoma with a Defective Epstein-Barr Virus Encoding the BZLFI trans-ActivatorThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1994
- A Transformation-Incompetent, Nuclear Antigen 2-Deleted Epstein-Barr Virus Associated with Replicative InfectionThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1991
- What causes cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis? A case-control study of environmental exposure to dust.BMJ, 1990
- EVIDENCE THAT RESPIRATORY TRACT IS MAJOR RESERVOIR FOR EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUSThe Lancet, 1985
- CRYPTOGENIC FIBROSING ALVEOLITIS AND EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS: AN ASSOCIATION?The Lancet, 1984