RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Viral infection drives tissue fibrosis in vitro JF European Respiratory Review JO EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW FD European Respiratory Society SP 49 OP 50 DO 10.1183/09059180.00010707 VO 17 IS 107 A1 Andrea P. Malizia A1 Dermot Walls A1 Jim J. Egan A1 Peter P. Doran YR 2008 UL http://err.ersjournals.com/content/17/107/49.abstract AB Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a refractory and lethal interstitial lung disease characterized by loss of alveolar epithelial cells, fibroblast proliferation and extra-cellular matrix protein deposition. EBV, localised to alveolar epithelial cells of pulmonary fibrosis patients is associated with a poor prognosis. In this study we utilised a microarray-based differential gene expression analysis strategy to identify molecular drivers of EBV associated with lung fibrosis. A549 cells and an alveolar epithelial cell line infected with EBV (VAAK) were used to identify genes whose expression was altered by EBV reactivation. EBV reactivation by TGFbeta1 drives alterations in expression of non-canonical Wnt pathway mediators, implicating it in epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), the molecular event underpinning scar production in tissue fibrosis. Cell invasion, EMT correlated transcripts expression, GSK-3b and c-Jun activation were altered in response to non-canonical Wnt pathway regulation. The role of EBV in promoting fibrosis can be attenuated by antiviral strategies and inhibition of Wnt signalling. Activation of non-canonical Wnt signalling pathway by EBV in epithelial cells suggests a novel mechanism of tissue fibrosis. These data present a framework for further description of the link between infectious agents and fibrosis, a significant disease burden.