Fine structure of EBV‐infected keratinocytes in oral hairy leukoplakia

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Abstract
We evaluated biopsy specimens of 42 cases of clinically suspected oral hairy leukoplakia for the pattern and frequency of ultrastructural alterations specific to epithelial cells infected with Epstein-Barr virus. Some structures could clearly be identified as Epstein-Barr virus at different stage of assembly, but other intranuclear and cytoplasmic alterations were not conclusively identificable as any known structure. Keratinocytes producing Epstein-Barr virus conhtained intranuclear particles of different size and shape; some of them were arranged in a monodispersed pattern and others formed arrays. In contrast, both lesional keratinocytes not producing virus and keratinocytes in uninvolved mucosa contained intrauclear particles reminiscent of perichromatin granules. The nuclei of productive cells also contained marginated chromatin, tubular structures, and occasionally, crystalline and fibrillar formations as well as enveloped virus. Formationis of electron-dense bilayers were seen on both sides of the nuclear membrane. In the cytoplasm of productive cells we observed aggregates of parallel tubules and enveloped electron-dense bodies. Although many of these observations are of diagnositc and pathobiological significance, the morphogenesis, composition, and function of alterations with uncertain morphological identification remain unclear.

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