Vol. 71 No. 1 (2024): January-March
−ABOUT THE COVER−
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a gamma herpesvirus that infects humans. The infection is primarily acquired during childhood or adolescence, presenting either asymptomatically or as a self-limited lymphoproliferative disorder that does not require clinical attention. However, EBV affects over 95% of the global adult population and is one of the most common oncogenic viruses in humans, being linked to approximately 200,000 cancer cases each year. Interestingly, only a small percentage of infected individuals develop malignant processes, typically immunocompromised or immunodeficient hosts.
EBV exhibits an almost exclusive tropism for B cells, and infection generally leads to either a latent or lytic state, from which diseases and complications can arise. Cytotoxic NK and CD8+ T cells are the main immune agents responsible for controlling and eliminating EBV infection. In this context, genetic variants that impair the development, proliferation, differentiation, costimulation, and/or activation of NK and CD8+ T cells predispose individuals to neoplasms or lymphoproliferative disorders. Specifically, deficiencies, haploinsufficiencies, or dysregulation of certain cytoplasmic proteins, membrane receptors, ligands, and ion transporters that affect cytotoxic cell function are linked to the most severe EBV-related outcomes. Undoubtedly, the knowledge gained in this field will continue to contribute to more timely diagnoses and the development of better therapeutic strategies in clinical practice.
Brief description of the cover: Drs. Arturo Gutiérrez Guerrero, Sara Elva Espinosa Padilla, and Saúl Oswaldo Lugo Reyes.
Special acknowledgment for the creation and design of the cover: DG. Diana Gabriela Salazar Rodríguez.
