Thomas J A, Felix D H, Wray D, Southam J C, Cubie H A, Crawford D H
Histopathology Unit, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London, United Kingdom.
Am J Pathol. 1991 Dec;139(6):1369-80.
Hairy leukoplakia (HL) is an Epstein-Barr (EB) virus related lesion of oral mucosa that is principally associated with human immunodeficiency virus-induced immunosuppression. To understand the nature of EB virus involvement in these lesions, this study compares the distribution of EB virus DNA and EB viral gene products with the pattern of keratinocyte differentiation in 12 lateral tongue biopsies of HL. Evidence of replicating EB viral infection and abundant virus production was demonstrated in the superficial epithelium of most (92%) samples by means of in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical techniques. Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein also was identified in 45% of samples, suggesting that this viral gene product, which is usually associated with EB virus latent infection, may be transiently expressed during viral replication in HL epithelium. The absence of detectable EB virus involvement in basal keratinocytes, however, fails to support the theory that latent infection occurs in basal epithelium. From this study, EB viral gene expression in HL appears to be linked with epithelial maturation. Conversely, the normal patterns of keratinocyte differentiation in these lesions do not appear to be appreciably altered by association with EB virus.
毛状白斑（HL）是一种与爱泼斯坦-巴尔（EB）病毒相关的口腔黏膜病变，主要与人类免疫缺陷病毒引起的免疫抑制有关。为了解EB病毒在这些病变中的作用本质，本研究比较了12例HL舌侧活检组织中EB病毒DNA和EB病毒基因产物的分布与角质形成细胞分化模式。通过原位杂交和免疫细胞化学技术在大多数（92%）样本的浅表上皮中证实了EB病毒复制感染及大量病毒产生的证据。45%的样本中还鉴定出了EB病毒潜伏膜蛋白，这表明这种通常与EB病毒潜伏感染相关的病毒基因产物可能在HL上皮细胞病毒复制过程中短暂表达。然而，在基底角质形成细胞中未检测到EB病毒感染，这无法支持潜伏感染发生在基底上皮的理论。从本研究来看，HL中EB病毒基因表达似乎与上皮成熟有关。相反，这些病变中角质形成细胞的正常分化模式似乎并未因与EB病毒相关而发生明显改变。
