[EBV-related malignancies and thioredoxin].

Thioredoxin (TRX) is a ubiquitous protein with two redox-active half-cystine residues. 3B6-IL-1, which was first reported as an interleukin 1-like protein produced by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed human B cell line (3B6), proved to be a human homologue of TRX. TRX is multifunctional in that it regulates DNA replication and transcription intracellularly and has various cytokine activities extracellularly associated with cell proliferation, immunological response, etc. It also functions to protect the cells from oxidative stress. In various tumors including EBV-related malignancies, an elevated expression of TRX is reported, but the role of TRX in such tumors has not yet been clarified. This review presents recent progress concerning the relation between TRX and neoplasms.