title: Monitoring the integrity of self: biology of MHC-restriction of virus-immune T cells.
abstract: All available evidence indicates that the cytotoxic thymus-derived lymphocyte (T cell), which is lytic for virus-infected target cells in vitro, is also the effector in cell-mediated immunity in vivo. Such T cell show two orders of specificity: for the virus in question, and for a particular self major histocompatibility complex (MHC) glycoprotein. Recirculating T cells amy thus be considered to survey the integrity of self, the self components involved being the cell-surface structures that are recognized as foreign during graft rejection. Virus-infected liver cells are apparently eliminated in much the same way as a transplanted organ. The necessary balance between self-tolerance (absence of autoreactivity) and self-monitoring effector T cell function seems to be established during the process of differentiation in thymus. The molecular nature of the underlying recognition events is, as yet, obscure.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001324:Autoantigens; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001324:Autoantigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell