The Effects of Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 2 (EBNA2) on B-Lymphocytic Activity.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus is a worldwide disease that can cause a wide range of human diseases, the person will become a lifelong carrier of the virus once infected. To investigate the mechanism of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA2) on B-lymphocytic activity, sera from 35 patients with infectious mononucleosis and from 34 cases without Epstein-Barr virus infection are collected for experimental analysis. Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, and MTT assays were used to evaluate the relative expression level of EBNA2 and to examine its impact on cell vitality. Results: Research found that the average EBNA2 mRNA and protein levels in 35 patients with infectious mononucleosis were higher than that 34 cases without Epstein-Barr virus infection. The MTT assay indicates that EBNA2 can promote the growth and proliferation of B lymphocytes. Conclusions: Combining the above implies that EBNA2 plays an important role in diseases that are induced by the Epstein-Barr virus. Other experiments reveal that ATO promotes the degradation of EBNA2 protein and induces the apoptosis of B lymphocytes which are EBNA2-positive.