Unstable EBV latency drives inflammation in multiple sclerosis patient derived spontaneous B cells [Batch2]

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an etiologic risk factor, and perhaps prerequisite, for the development of MS. EBV establishes life-long latent infection in a subpopulation of memory B cells. Although B cells play a key role in the pathobiology of MS, EBV-associated mechanisms of B cell inflammation and disease pathogenesis in EBV (+) B cells from MS patients are not well characterized. Accordingly, we obtained lymphoblastoid lines (LCLs) and spontaneous LCLs (SLCLs), distinguished by their transformation with lab strain (B95.8) or endogenous EBV, respectively, from MS patients and healthy controls to study host-virus interactions in B cells. Here, we use transcriptomics and genomics-based approaches to identify differences in EBV gene expression and regulation of both viral and cellular genes in LCLs compared to SLCLs and between SLCLs generated from healthy controls and MS patients during “active” or “stable” periods of disease activity. We demonstrate increased lytic gene expression in SLCLs derived from MS patient B cells, especially those generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained during “active” disease.