Characterization of macrophage innate immune response at the site of Epsein Barr Virus (EBV) entry in pediatric patients

N FERRESSINI ; P CHABAY; AGUSTINA A MOYANO; MV PRECIADO ; E DE MATTEO

Congreso; ICGEB DNA Tumour Virus Meeting ? 50th Anniversary; 2019

ICGEB

Macrophage?s role in the management of Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection is unexplored. Therefore,our aim is to characterize macrophages in tonsil microenvironment in pediatric patients infectedwith EBV. Methods: We studied 72 patients with tonsil surgery. The infection status was studied byAnti-EBV VCA-IgM, VCA-IgG, EA-IgG and -EBNA1 IgG, to define primary infection (PI), healthycarrier (HC), reactivation (R) and no infected (NI). Viral load and typification was assessed by PCR.Latency pattern was evaluated by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for LMP1, EBNA2 and BMRF1, andEBERS in Situ Hybridization (ISH). Macrophages characterization was performed by CD68, CD163,and CD169 IHC, in germinal center (GC) and interfollicular (IF) regions and results were expressedas positive cells/mm2. Results: Of our patients, 38 were HC, 20 PI, 10 had viral R and 4 were NI.41.5% of patients expressed Latency I, 31.7% Latency II, 12.2% Latency III and 14.6% Latency 0,while 14.6% also showed positive cells for lytic antigens. We defined the macrophage´s polarizationprofile M1 as CD68/CD163 >1.5, and M2 as CD163/CD68 >1.5; M1 profile was observed in 89% ofthe patients. CD68+ cell counts was statically higher compared to CD163+ and CD169+ in the entireseries and within groups (ANOVA p