Studies on host immune responses induced by reactivation of EB virus-infected lymphocytes and resultant skin lesions

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591653
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Dermatology
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: IWATSUKI Keiji 岡山大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 教授 (80126797)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YAMAMOTO Takenobu 川崎医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (50379799) ; MORIZANE Shin 岡山大学, 大学病院, 助教 (80423333)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ＥＢウイルス / 種痘様水疱症 / 蚊刺過敏症 / 慢性活動性ＥＢウイルス感染症 / γδＴ細胞 / ＮＫ細胞 / 遺伝子発現 / 診断キット

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We performed diagnostic examinations on more than 50 cases of EB virus-associated T/NK lymphoproliferative disorders including hydroa vacciniforme (HV), hypersensitivity to mosquito bites (HMB), chronic active EB virus infections(CAEBV) and so on, and studied the pathogenesis. EB virus was found to be infected mainly in gdT cells in classical HV, abT cells in systemic HV, and NK cells in HMB. These results indicate that EB virus-infected lymphocyte subsets are closely related to the clinical phenotypes.
We found prognostic factors in our series of patients: clinical phenotypes, age of the disease onset, and the expression of EB virus reactivation marker, BZLF1. The results suggest that host immune responses against the EBV antigens expressed in the skin lesions induce the severe clinical symptoms. Furthermore, we found elderly patients with atypical HV, and reported their cytological characteristics and EB virus gene expression patterns.

Free Research Field

皮膚科