Induction of Epstein-Barr virus early antigens by corticosteroids: inhibition by TPA and retinoic acid.

Corticosteroids can induce the synthesis of EBV antigens in the Burkitt lymphoma line Daudi. As early as 12 h after application of the drug, an increase of EA-positive cells can be seen, the maximum induction being reached after 2 days. Nanogram amounts per ml of hormone are sufficient for measurable effects. Early antigen induction by corticosteroids does not require replication of viral DNA. Induction by corticosteroid differs from induction by other systems in two major respects: (1) it does not cooperate with other inducers, and (2) it is specifically inhibited by 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Induction by corticosteroids, however, shares at least one retinoic acid-sensitive step with induction by chemicals such as TPA, 5-iodo-2-deoxyuridine (IdUrd), n-butyric acid (n-BA) or inducing serum factor. This study defines three qualitatively different effects of TPA in Daudi cells: an inhibitory effect on EBV induction by corticosteroids and two differential types of synergistic effects with serum factor or n-BA, respectively. In this particular cell line, TPA exhibits no inducing capacity when applied alone.