Immune surveillance against Epstein-Barr virus.

Following primary infection, EBV retains a life-long latent association with B lymphocytes and a permissive association with stratified epithelium in the oropharynx. This review presents a model for the host-virus relationships in healthy virus carriers, a relationship which, if perturbed, may result in EBV-associated disease. Cytotoxic T cells that recognise virally-determined epitopes on infected cells are the major effector arm and control the persistant infection. A strategy for developing a vaccine to EBV is discussed.