EBV infection leads to activation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells and worsen clinical prognosis in CLL patients
-
1
Medical University of Lublin, Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Poland
-
2
Institute of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Immunohaematology, Poland
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a heterogenic disease in clinical outcome, but the reason of heterogeneity remains not understood. The role of chronic immune stimulation, leading to the activation of B lymphocytes is under investigation. Preliminary observations indicate a possibility of facilitate clonal expansion and leukemic transformation of B cells by exoantigens. The aim of the study was an assessment of the influence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection on activation of CLL cells and determination of the relationship between the presence of viral DNA and CLL clinical outcome. The assessment of the immunophenotype of peripheral blood (PB) lymphocytes, focusing on lymphocyte activation markers, such as CD25 and CD69, with the use of flow cytometric method, and the assessment of the presence of the EBV DNA with the use of RT-PCR method, was conducted in blood samples (PBMC) of 80 untreated CLL patients. Significantly higher percentage of activated B cells CD19+CD25+ and T cells CD3+CD25+ was found in PB of those CLL patients in whom DNA EBV was found in PBMC (p<0.0000001 and p=0.024, respectively). Positive correlation between the number of copies DNA EBV and the percentage of CD19+CD25+ B cells (r=0.502, p=0.033), CD19+ZAP-70+ B cells (r=0.751, p=0.0003), and CD19+CD38+ B cells (r=0.476, p=0.038). Moreover, those patients whose lymphocyte counts doubled in less than 12 months had more DNA EBV copies (p=0.0003). Obtained results suggest that EBV plays an important role in the stimulation of CLL lymphocytes and may induce B-CLL cells proliferation, leading to the fatal outcome of the disease.
Keywords:
Epstein-Barr virus,
chronic lymphocytic leukemia,
activation,
RT-PCR,
Flow Cytometry
Conference:
15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Milan, Italy, 22 Aug - 27 Aug, 2013.
Presentation Type:
Abstract
Topic:
Host-pathogen interactions
Citation:
Rolinski
J,
Grywalska
E,
Bojarska-Junak
A and
Grabarczyk
P
(2013). EBV infection leads to activation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells and worsen clinical prognosis in CLL patients.
Front. Immunol.
Conference Abstract:
15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI).
doi: 10.3389/conf.fimmu.2013.02.01073
Copyright:
The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers.
They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters.
The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated.
Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed.
For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions.
Received:
28 Jun 2013;
Published Online:
22 Aug 2013.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Ewelina Grywalska, Medical University of Lublin, Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Lublin, 20-093, Poland, ewelina.grywalska@gmail.com