Toll-like receptor agonists synergistically increase proliferation and activation of B cells by epstein-barr virus

J Virol. 2010 Apr;84(7):3612-23. doi: 10.1128/JVI.01400-09. Epub 2010 Jan 20.

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) efficiently drives proliferation of human primary B cells in vitro, a process relevant for human diseases such as infectious mononucleosis and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease. Human B-cell proliferation is also driven by ligands of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), notably viral or bacterial DNA containing unmethylated CpG dinucleotides, which triggers TLR9. Here we quantitatively investigated how TLR stimuli influence EBV-driven B-cell proliferation and expression of effector molecules. CpG DNA synergistically increased EBV-driven proliferation and transformation, T-cell costimulatory molecules, and early production of interleukin-6. CpG DNA alone activated only memory B cells, but CpG DNA enhanced EBV-mediated transformation of both memory and naive B cells. Ligands for TLR2 or TLR7/8 or whole bacteria had a weaker but still superadditive effect on B-cell transformation. Additionally, CpG DNA facilitated the release of transforming virus by established EBV-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines. These results suggest that the proliferation of EBV-infected B cells and their capability to interact with immune effector cells may be directly influenced by components of bacteria or other microbes present at the site of infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
  • Herpesvirus 4, Human / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Lymphocyte Activation*
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / pharmacology
  • Toll-Like Receptors / agonists*
  • Toll-Like Receptors / physiology
  • Virus Latency

Substances

  • CPG-oligonucleotide
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
  • Toll-Like Receptors