Clonality analysis by sequence variation of the latent membrane protein 1 gene in patients with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is a severe systemic disease associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Recent studies suggest that the clonal expansion of EBV-infected T or natural killer cells plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of chronic active EBV infection. However, it is not clear whether chronic active EBV infection is truly a monoclonal disorder that originates from one cell. The clonality of EBV was investigated by sequence variation of the latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) gene, which has a high degree of sequence heterogeneity. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from nine Japanese patients with chronic active EBV infection and four with infectious mononucleosis. A carboxyl-terminal region of the LMP1 gene was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified PCR products were subcloned, and 18 clones from each sample were sequenced. Patients with chronic active EBV infection each had two to five different LMP1 nucleotide sequences, whereas patients with infectious mononucleosis each had one to seven different sequences. Patients with chronic active EBV infection and infectious mononucleosis both had one dominant sequence. Longitudinal analysis was performed in four patients with chronic active EBV infection, in whom the dominant strains were found to have remained unchanged for several years. The results suggest that EBV in patients with chronic active EBV infection was polyclonal, although clonal expansion may occur. Collectively, these findings are critical to clarify further the pathogenesis of chronic active EBV infection and aid in the development of effective treatment strategies.