Clonal origin of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected T/NK-cell subpopulations in EBV-positive T/NK-cell lymphoproliferative disorders of childhood

Background: In Japan, chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) may manifest with infection of T-cells or NK-cells, clonal lymphoid proliferations, and overt lymphoid malignancy. These EBV-positive lymphoproliferative disorders (EBV ⁺LPD) of childhood are related to, but distinct from the infectious mononucleosis-like CAEBV seen in Western populations. The clonal nature of viral infection within lymphoid subsets of patients with EBV ⁺LPD of childhood is not well described. Objectives: Viral distribution and clonotype were assessed within T-cell subsets, NK-cells, and CD34 ⁺stem cells following high purity cell sorting. Study design: Six Japanese patients with EBV ⁺LPD of childhood (3 T-cell LPD and 3 NK-cell LPD) were recruited. Prior to immunochemotherapy, viral loads and clonal analyses of T-cell subsets, NK-cells, and CD34 ⁺stem cells were studied by high-accuracy cell sorting (>99.5%), Southern blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Patient 1 had a monoclonal proliferation of EBV-infected γδT-cells and carried a lower copy number of EBV in αβT-cells. Patients 2 and 3 had clonal expansions of EBV-infected CD4 ⁺T-cells, and lower EBV load in NK-cells. Patients 4, 5 and 6 had EBV ⁺NK-cell expansions with higher EBV load than T-cells. EBV-terminal repeats were determined as clonal bands in the minor targeted populations of 5 patients. The size of terminal repeats indicated the same clonotype in minor subsets as in the major subsets of four patients. EBV was not, however, detected in the bone marrow-derived CD34 ⁺stem cells of patients. Conclusions: A single EBV clonotype may infect multiple NK-cell and T-cell subsets of patients with EBV ⁺LPD of childhood. CD34 ⁺stem cells are spared, suggesting infection of more differentiated elements.