Ohta Shigeto, Hanashiro Kazuhiko, Sunagawa Masanori, Tono Tetsuya, Suzuki Mikio, Kosugi Tadayoshi
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2007 Mar;264(3):245-50. doi: 10.1007/s00405-006-0191-y. Epub 2006 Nov 7.
The aim of our study was to investigate a possible correlation between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection status, including its latent gene expression, and expression of allergy-related genes in human tonsil-derived cells. In the tonsil-derived cells from the patients undergoing routine tonsillectomies for palatine tonsil hypertrophy or tonsillar focal infection, the presence of EBV DNA and mRNA expressions of latent membrane protein (LMP)-1, C epsilon chain, and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) were detected by PCR and RT-PCR analysis, respectively. Of all the 12 patients, PCR products amplified from EBV DNA BamHI W fragment were detected in the tonsils from the 10 patients (83.3%). LMP1 mRNA expressions were confirmed in the six patients (50%). Both LMP1 mRNA expressions and EBV DNA were detected in the five patients. EBV DNA, but not LMP1 mRNA expression, was detected in the five patients. LMP1 mRNA expression, but not EBV DNA, was detected in one patient. In one patient, neither EBV DNA nor LMP1 mRNA expression was confirmed. C epsilon mRNA expressions were confirmed in all the 12 patients along with AID mRNA expressions. The degree of C epsilon mRNA expression, however, varied with the patients. The Fisher's exact probability test revealed a statistically significant correlation between LMP1 and C epsilon gene expressions, indicating that C epsilon mRNA expression level was significantly higher in the LMP1 positive samples than in the negative samples. On the other hand, there was no significant correlation between AID and LMP1 mRNA expressions. Thus, EBV infection is a notable factor capable of exacerbating allergic inflammation.
我们研究的目的是调查爱泼斯坦-巴尔病毒（EBV）感染状态（包括其潜伏基因表达）与人类扁桃体来源细胞中过敏相关基因表达之间可能存在的相关性。在因腭扁桃体肥大或扁桃体局灶性感染而接受常规扁桃体切除术的患者的扁桃体来源细胞中，分别通过PCR和RT-PCR分析检测EBV DNA的存在以及潜伏膜蛋白（LMP）-1、Cε链和活化诱导胞苷脱氨酶（AID）的mRNA表达。在所有12例患者中，10例患者（83.3%）的扁桃体中检测到从EBV DNA BamHI W片段扩增的PCR产物。6例患者（50%）中证实有LMP1 mRNA表达。5例患者中同时检测到LMP1 mRNA表达和EBV DNA。5例患者中检测到EBV DNA，但未检测到LMP1 mRNA表达。1例患者中检测到LMP1 mRNA表达，但未检测到EBV DNA。1例患者中既未证实有EBV DNA也未证实有LMP1 mRNA表达。所有12例患者中均证实有Cε mRNA表达以及AID mRNA表达。然而，Cε mRNA表达程度因患者而异。费舍尔精确概率检验显示LMP1与Cε基因表达之间存在统计学上的显著相关性，表明LMP1阳性样本中Cε mRNA表达水平显著高于阴性样本。另一方面，AID与LMP1 mRNA表达之间无显著相关性。因此，EBV感染是能够加剧过敏性炎症的一个显著因素。
