Recent Advances in Diagnostic Approaches for Epstein–Barr Virus

Abstract

my (M.A.H.A.); irekeola@student.usm.my (A.A.I.); hanimkk@usm.my (R.H.S.)Abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the causative agent of many diseases including infectious mononucleosis (IM), and it is associated with different subtypes of lymphoma, sarcoma and carcinoma such as Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and gastric carcinoma. With the advent of improved laboratory tests for EBV, a timelier and accurate diagnosis could be made to aid better prognosis and effective treatment. For histopathological lesions, the in situ hybridization (ISH) of EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) in biopsy tissues remains the gold standard for detecting EBV. Methods such as the heterophile antibody test, immunofluorescence assays, enzyme immunoassays, Western blot, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are also employed in the detection of EBV in different types of samples. The determination of EBV viral load using PCR, however, is gaining more prominence in the diagnosis of EBV-associated diseases. Given the challenge of false positive/negative results that are sometimes experienced during the detection of EBV, variability in results from different laboratories, and the impact of factors such as sample type and the immunological status of patients from whom samples are collected, the need to critically examine these present methods is invaluable. This review thus presents current advances in the detection of EBV, detailing the advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques. In addition, fundamental virological concepts are highlighted to enhance the greater understanding, the proper application, and the interpretation of EBV tests.Pathogens 2020, 9, 226 2 of 17 EBV can infect a wide range of cells and tissues including T and B lymphocytes, nasopharynx and oropharynx squamous epithelial cells, salivary and stomach glands, thyroid glandular epithelial cells, smooth muscle, and follicular dendritic cells [4]. However, EBV primarily infects and replicates in the stratified squamous epithelium of the oropharynx, followed by a latent infection of B lymphocytes [4]. It has been suggested that the EBV infection of B lymphocytes occurs in the oropharyngeal lymphoid organs [2]. In normal carriers, the virus persists in circulating memory B cells and initiates the production of immunoglobulins [1,2]. Following EBV's infection of B cells, a specific set of latency-related genes and transcripts are expressed, and the virus could remain dormant in resting memory B cells, from which it intermittently reactivates at any mucosal site where B cells are present (Table 1) [4,5]. The reactivation of EBV poses a great and difficult challenge to infected hosts [3]. In healthy adults, it is estimated that for every million B cells in circulation, approximately 1 to 50 are infected with EBV, with the number of latently-infected cells in each individual remaining stable for several years [6]. Therefore, EBV coexists with most human hosts without obvious outcomes. However, in some people, the virus is associated with the develo...

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