Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of endothelial cells via endocytosis is associated with a poor prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. (PubMed, Microbiol Spectr)
These findings collectively suggest that phagocytic uptake of EBV-infected lymphocytes or their components may serve as a primary infection mechanism for ECs, potentially establishing an immunosuppressive microenvironment that contributes to tumor progression and poor clinical outcomes, though the exact molecular pathways require further elucidation.IMPORTANCEClinical investigations of NPC specimens identified EBERs-positive endothelial cells as clinically significant biomarkers, demonstrating robust correlations with lymphatic metastasis (P < 0.05), distant metastasis (P < 0.01), and advanced tumor staging (P < 0.01), while immunological profiling of affected patients revealed concomitant reductions in B-cell populations (P < 0.01), collectively indicative of systemic immunoregulatory status. Furthermore, integrative experimental approaches incorporating live-cell dynamic imaging, single-cell transcriptional profiling, and ultrastructural electron microscopy provided compelling evidence that endothelial phagocytosis of lymphocytes serves as a principal route for EBV cellular entry and subsequent modulation of the NPC tumor microenvironment.