1. Epstein Barr Virus Infection Affects Function of Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes in Patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia.
- Author
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Zhang, Tian, Liu, Chunyan, Liu, Hui, Li, Lijuan, Wang, Ting, and Fu, Rong
- Subjects
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HEMATOPOIETIC stem cells , *T cells , *APLASTIC anemia , *EPSTEIN-Barr virus diseases , *GENE expression , *GENETIC techniques , *INTERFERONS , *PROTEOLYTIC enzymes , *SECRETION , *DISEASE remission , *SEVERITY of illness index , *CYTOTOXINS , *PHYSIOLOGY - Abstract
Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is characterized by pancytopenia and failure of hematopoietic function and is caused by excessive functioning of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). EBNA-1, a nucleoprotein of the Epstein Barr virus (EBV), can influence the proliferation and function of lymphocytes. We therefore tested the number of EBV copies in the CD8+ T cells of 27 patients with SAA and 10 healthy control subjects and observed the influences of EBNA-1 upon the CD8+ T cells of patients with SAA. The results showed that more EBV copies were found in the CD8+ T cells of patients with untreated SAA than in patients with SAA in remission or in the healthy control subjects. Their copy number was positively correlated with the expression of granzyme B and perforin, the secretion level of interferon-
γ in CD8+ T cells, and the viability of CD8+ T cells, whereas no correlation was seen between the copy number and the interleukin 4 secretion level or the apoptosis rate. Meanwhile, the expression of granzyme B and perforin was reduced after EBNA-1 gene knockdown, whereas the interferon-γ secretion level and cell viability declined. Therefore, we infer that EBV infection may be a factor in the activation of CTLs and in damaging the bone marrow hematopoietic function of patients with SAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2018
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