# CELLULAR CONTROL OF EB VIRUS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 1988 · $186,072

## Abstract

Lymphoid cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are impaired in
their ability to control Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection.  EBV-induced
lymphoblast transformation following in vitro infection occurs more rapidly
in RA cells, and spontaneous lymphoblast transformation occurs more
frequently in cells obtained from the blood of RA patients than it does in
cells from healthy individuals.  The regulation of EBV-induced lymphoblast
proliferation can be divided into "early" and "late" phases which appear to
be mediated by cellular events and by soluble factors derived from
activated cells.  We plan to continue the dissection of these regulatory
events, comparing the function of cells from healthy individuals with those
from RA patients.  Studies of the direct cell-mediated events will be
directed at phenotypically characterizing the responsible regulatory
subpopulations and determining if the regulatory defects in the RA cells is
specific for EBV or a more generalized defect in the ability to control B
cell proliferation.  Studies of the soluble regulatory factor will include
analysis of the interacting cell populations required for its generation;
analysis of the role of prostaglandins in the diminished capacity of RA
cells to generate it; and analysis of the soluble factor as an interferon.
Studies of the abnormal regulation of EBV infection in rheumatoid arthritis
should continue to yield new information regarding immunoregulation in that
chronic autoimmune disorder.  Because of its ubiquity, persistence, and
ability to alter immune responses, EBV is an attractive organism to
consider in autoimmune disease.  While EBV infection is not likely to be
the initiating event in RA, it may, by virtue of its ability to modulate
immune responses and enhance rheumatoid factor production, play a role in
the perpetuation of the disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155345
- **Project number:** 5R01AR025719-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **SAM.gov UEI:** UYTTZT6G9DT1
- **Principal Investigator:** HARRY G BLUESTEIN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $186,072
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1979-12-01 → 1990-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155345

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155345, CELLULAR CONTROL OF EB VIRUS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (5R01AR025719-09). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155345. Licensed CC0.

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