[Epstein-Barr virus penetration mechanism to T lymphoblastoid cell lines]

It had been believed until several years ago that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can infect to only B lymphocytes and epithelial cells. However, EBV DNA, RNA derived from EBV and/or EBV latent proteins were detected in the T cells of the patient with Kawasaki-like disease, nasal T cell lymphoma cells, and postpyothrax T cell lymphoma cells. Therefore, it is obvious that EBV can infect to T lymphocytes. It is relatively well studied how EBV infects to B lymphocytes. But the mechanism of EBV infection to T lymphocytes is still obscure due to the difficulty of the purification of T lymphocytes with EBV receptor. Recent topics about EBV infection mechanism to T lymphocytes and T lymphoblastoid cell lines are summarized in this review.