Real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that EBER-knockout EBV-infected Akata cells were negative for IL-10 expression (Figure 6C). These results clearly demonstrated that the EBERs were responsible for IL-10 induction.
Previous studies demonstrated that EBERs (EBER1 and EBER2) play significant roles in various EBV-infected cancer cells. EBERs induce the expression of interleukin(IL)-10 in BL cells, insulin-like growth factor(IGF)-1 in gastric carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, IL-9 in T cells that act as an autocrine growth factor. It was also reported that EBERs play critical roles in the B cell growth transformation including IL-6 induction by EBER2.