Epstein-barr virus lymphomagenesis and therapeutic targets

The pathogenic role of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been suggested because it is consistently found in some lymphoproliferative disorders. More than 90% of the population is exposed to the virus, usually during childhood, and after initial exposure, the virus survives for the lifetime of individuals as an episome, and expresses a limited set of proteins depending on the immune status of the host. The variable expression of viral proteins is known as latency pattern with minimal expression of viral products in immunocompetent hosts, but expression of numerous viral products in the immunocompromised host. Thus, the more virus products that are expressed, the more targets for an immune reaction. Since it is acknowledged that the neoplastic process including lymphoproliferative disorders result from a multistep chain of events, multiple pathways are affected, and in particular in EBV-positive lymphoproliferations, EBV products interact with abnormally activated pathways in the context of the immune response of the host. In this review we analyze the structure of the virus and its interaction in the immunocompetent as well as in the immunocompromised host, and discuss the possible roles of EBV products in various lymphoproliferative disorders. Finally, we discuss the potential role of expressed EBV viral proteins and activation of pathogenic pathways in the setting of specific diagnostic categories with the identification of potential molecular targets.