Cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses to Epstein-Barr virus

Epstein-Barr virus induces a potent cytotoxic T lymphocyte response in man that is preferentially directed towards a particular subset of the virus latent cycle antigens; the immunodominance of these proteins, apparent in both primary and memory responses, may reflect some differential access to the HLA class I processing pathway. Effector cells recognizing these immunodominant antigens can reverse the growth of virus-induced lymphoproliferative lesions in immunosuppressed patients, however, responses to some of the subdominant latent proteins will be needed to target other virus-positive tumours.