title: The influence of cytomegalovirus carrier status on lymphocyte subsets and natural immunity.
abstract: The influence of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) carrier status on peripheral lymphocyte subsets was studied in 70 healthy individuals. IgG-class antibodies against CMV late antigen were used as markers for the presence of CMV in those individuals. The 39 CMV-seropositive individuals had significantly higher numbers of CD3+ (P = 0.009), CD8+ (P = 0.005) and HNK1+ (P = 0.002) cells than the 31 CMV-seronegative individuals. Two-colour immunofluorescence studies revealed that the HNK1+ cells coexpressing CD4 or high density CD8 were particularly increased in the number under the influence of CMV, but not the HNK1+ cells coexpressing CD16. Since HNK1 and CD16 are markers associated with natural killer (NK) activity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), we investigated the influence of the CMV carrier status on those functions. The NK and ADCC functions of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), HNK1+ and HNK1- cells were correlated with the percentages of CD16+ cells among those cells. Although CMV-seropositive individuals had significantly less CD16+ cells among their HNK1+ cells than CMV-seronegative individuals (mean and s.d.: 39 and 19%, versus 58 and 11%, P = 0.003), the NK and ADCC functions of the HNK1+ cells were similar in both groups. Also, the CMV carrier status did not influence significantly those functions of PBMC and HNK1- cells. We conclude that the CMV carrier status, i.e. CMV-seropositivity, is associated with a significant increase in the numbers of HNK1+ lymphocytes coexpressing T cell markers. That situation may reflect the continuing interaction between CMV and the immune system of its host.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohaematology and Blood Bank, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gratama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kardol
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Naipal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slats
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Den Ouden
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stijnen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: D'Amaro
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: The
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bruning
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral