Epstein-Barr Virus-Infected B Cell

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected B cells are human B lymphocytes that have been targeted and infected by the Epstein-Barr virus. EBV primarily infects B cells due to their expression of CD21 (also known as CR2), which serves as the major receptor for viral entry. The infection process is central to both the pathogenesis and persistence of EBV in humans. Infected naïve B cells undergo rapid phenotypic changes resembling activation. EBV hijacks intrinsic activation pathways to generate immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) in vitro. In vivo persistence occurs mainly within memory B cell subsets, where the virus remains latent as an episome. EBV-infected B cells play a key role in infectious mononucleosis, various lymphoproliferative disorders and certain autoimmune diseases. Their study provides insight into both normal immune regulation/dysregulation and oncogenesis.