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During the course of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection, nearly 15% of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and up to 40% of cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) developed SIV-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Most of these malignant lymphomas harbored lymphocryptoviruses, which are closely related to the human Epstein-Barr virus (EBV; Herpesvirus M. mulatta and Herpesvirus M. fascicularis). To characterize the oncogenic role of simian EBV infection for lymphomagenesis during SIV infection, expression of the EBV-encoded latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) was analyzed in malignant lymphomas of SIV-infected rhesus macaques. Nine seropositive rhesus macaques suffering from B-cell lymphomas during the late phase of SIV infection were euthanized. Latency stages of EBV infection within malignant lymphomas and simian EBV-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL8664, H50) were characterized by analyzing expression of the EBV-encoded nuclear antigens EBNA-1, EBNA-2, and small RNAs EBER1/2. In parallel, the presence of viral LMP-1 transcripts was assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization. Results were compared with findings in AIDS-associated malignant lymphomas in two patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1. Rhesus macaques developed high-grade B-cell lymphomas of the centroblastic (five of nine), immunoblastic (two of nine), centroblastic-centrocytic (one of nine), and Burkitt-like (one of nine) subtypes within 18-29 months postinfection with SIV(mac)251/32H. The presence of Herpesvirus M. mulatta was detected in eight of nine cases. Transcription of the viral oncogene LMP-1 could be demonstrated within the simian EBV-infected cell lines as well as in four of nine SIV-associated malignant lymphomas. These four cases and both of the HIV-1-related non-Hodgkin's lymphomas expressed the full spectrum of latent EBV gene products (LMP-1, EBER1/2, EBNA-1, EBNA-2) and were thus classified as latency type III stages of EBV infection. Simian EBV infection was demonstrated in 90% of lymphomas in SIV-infected rhesus macaques. Analysis of LMP-1 expression suggests an important role for this viral oncogene in the pathogenesis of both SIV and HIV-1-associated malignant lymphomas., (Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Several novel, differentially transcribed genes were identified in one centroblastic and one immunoblastic HIV-associated B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) by subtractive cloning. In both lymphomas, we detected an upregulated transcription of several mitochondrial genes. In the centroblastic B-NHL, we found a high level transcription of nuclear genes including the interferon-inducible gene (INF-ind), the immunoglobulin light chain gene (IgL), the set oncogene, and several unknown genes. The data obtained on upregulated expression of the genes in human B-NHL of HIV-infected patients considerably overlap with those obtained earlier for the B-NHL of simian immunodeficiency virus-infected monkeys. In the centroblastic lymphoma, one transcript revealed a fusion of the 3'-untranslated region of the set gene and the C-terminal region of the IgL gene. This chimeric sequence was confirmed by a site-directed polymerase chain reaction performed with total cDNA and genomic DNA. The expected amplification product was obtained in both cases pointing to a genomic rearrangement. The IgL-set fusion sequence was not found in cDNA preparations and genomic DNA of the immunoblastic HIV-associated B-NHL. Further studies are necessary to determine whether these genes contribute to lymphoma development or can be used as therapeutic targets.

Cytokine dysregulation is accepted as one of the pivotal factors in the pathogenesis of B cell lymphomas in HIV-positive patients. So far no data exist on inhibitory cytokines in the regulatory network of HIV-associated B-NHL. Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaques are a well-established in vivo model of HIV infection in humans. We used this model for the identification of TGF-beta as a growth-inhibitory cytokine of SIV-associated B cell lymphomas. Fifty-seven rhesus macaques were infected with SIVmac. Nine animals developed B cell lymphomas: eight with high-grade lymphomas of the immunoblastic, centroblastic, and "Burkitt-like" type, and one with the centroblastic/centrocytic type according to the Kiel classification. Six of seven analyzed lymphomas were infected with the macaque EBV, herpes virus macaca mulatta (HVMM). The lymphomas and the SIV-associated B cell lymphoma cell line H50 were positive for transcription of the TGF-beta gene. Protein expression and secretion of the active cytokine were proved by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. H50 transcribed the TGF-beta type I and type II receptor (R I/II), betaglycan, and endoglin. Furthermore, all primary lymphoma samples tested were positive for receptor type I/II transcription and protein expression. TGF-beta induced reduction of cell viability by 67% (range, 50-84% and enhanced apoptosis by 69% (range, 33-111%) compared with the control. TGF-beta activity was blocked by a specific anti-TGF-beta antibody. Thus, TGF-beta fulfilled the criteria of a negative autocrine inhibitor in H50. These data identify TGF-beta as a promising candidate as an inhibitory factor in the regulatory network of HIV-associated lymphomagenesis.

Infection of rhesus monkeys with SIV leads to AIDS-like symptoms. Similar to human AIDS patients, some monkeys develop B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We determined transcription of cytokine genes regulating the activation of B and T cells, which play a role in intratumoral immune surveillance. Therefore, we compared the transcription of the cytokine genes encoding IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and TGF-beta1, and the Epstein-Barr virus-encoded BCRF 1 gene, in cells from five monkey and two human tumor specimens. The immune-suppressive IL-10 and TGF-beta1 genes were predominantly transcribed in all tumor specimens analyzed. Cytokine gene transcription patterns appeared to be similar in human and animal tumor cells. The transcription patterns corresponded to their histological classification as diffuse large-cell lymphoma according to the REAL classification and as immunoblastic or centroblastic tumors according to the Kiel classification. The determination of cytokine gene transcription pattern in the NHL may improve our understanding of pathogenesis and immune surveillance in this heterogeneous group of tumors. Our data show that SIV-associated NHLs of rhesus monkeys are comparable to human HIV-1-associated EBV-positive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.