KSHV-infected PEL cell lines exhibit a distinct gene expression profile

We analyzed the gene expression profiles of lymphocyte-originated tumor cell lines – primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cell lines, T-cell leukemia (TCL) cell lines, Burkitt lymphoma (BL) cell lines – and two sets of normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) – in order to determine characteristic gene expression profiles for each of the former three groups. And we found that these cell lines showed respective typical gene expression profiles and classified into clear four groups, PEL, TCL, BL, and normal PBMCs. Two B lymphocyte-originated tumor cell lines, PEL and BL cell lines, clearly exhibited distinct gene expression profiles, respectively. Even though there was only one line that was co-infected with both Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), KSHV seemed to govern the gene expression profile of the co-infected line. These data suggested not only that established typical tumor cell lines show a distinct gene expression profile but also that this profile may be governed by certain viruses.