title: T-cell immune response to human herpesvirus-6 in healthy adults.
abstract: The proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy adults to human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) was examined. It was found that PBMC from 13 of 14 HHV-6-seropositive adults apparently proliferated in response to stimulation with HHV-6 antigen in contrast to the lack of response of cord blood mononuclear cells. In order to confirm the presence of HHV-6-specific memory T cells in the peripheral blood of healthy adults, we established HHV-6-specific T-cell clones from an HHV-6-seropositive individual. CD4+ T-cell clones generated from HHV-6-stimulated PBMC were found to proliferate upon stimulation with HHV-6 in the presence of autologous antigen-presenting cells, but not in response to herpes simplex virus type 1 antigen or mock-infected control antigen. These results indicate that a T-cell immune response against HHV-6 infection is generally present in healthy adult populations.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Ehime University.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yakushijin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasukawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells; D005312:Fetal Blood; D006262:Health; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D009000:Monocytes; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*