Epstein-Barr virus in the enlarged salivary tissues of patients with IgG4-related disease.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized disease entity characterized by high-serum IgG4 concentration and IgG4-producing plasma cell production with fibrotic or sclerotic changes in affected organs. We aimed to clarify the roles of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in patients with IgG4-RDs.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING:

A retrospective clinical study at the Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan.

METHODS:

The patient group consisted of four males and four females with an average age of 62 years (range: 48-73). Expression of IgG4, latent member protein 1, EBV nuclear antigens-2, and EBV-encoded RNA in affected salivary glands from patients with IgG4-RD was examined by using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. The copy number of EBV DNA in the salivary glands was also investigated by real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS:

All patients had hard masses in the salivary or lacrimal glands, or both, bilaterally. Serum concentrations of IgG4 were elevated in all cases (mean 589.1, range 129-1750), and IgG4-positive plasmacytes were observed in the involved salivary glands. Four patients developed potentially life-threatening systemic involvement after initial salivary gland swelling. EBV-associated molecules (EBNA and EBER) were overexpressed in the affected salivary glands. The copy number of EBV DNA was significantly higher in patients with potentially life-threatening systemic involvement than in patients without systemic involvement (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

These results suggest that the copy number of EBV DNA could be useful as diagnostic findings in IgG4-RD to predict potentially life-threatening systemic involvement.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

4.

• Authors: Takatoshi Furukawa, Yoshitaka Shimotai, Nobuo Ohta, Akihiro Ishida, Kazuya Kurakami, Hitoshi Suzuki, Mitsunori Yamakawa, Seiji Hongo, Seiji Kakehata
• Journal: The Laryngoscope (Laryngoscope) Vol. 125 Issue 9 Pg. 2079-84 (Sep 2015) ISSN: 1531-4995 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 26152762 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic
• Immunoglobulin G
• RNA, Viral

Topics

• Aged
• Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic (immunology)
• Autoimmune Diseases (epidemiology, immunology, virology)
• Epstein-Barr Virus Infections (epidemiology, immunology, virology)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Herpesvirus 4, Human (genetics)
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin G (immunology)
• Immunohistochemistry
• In Situ Hybridization
• Incidence
• Japan (epidemiology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• RNA, Viral (analysis)
• Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Retrospective Studies
• Salivary Gland Diseases (epidemiology, immunology, virology)
• Salivary Glands (immunology, virology)