Apoptosis as a mechanism of peripheral blood mononuclear cell death after measles and varicella-zoster virus infections in children.
Viral infections may induce an acquired form of immunodeficiency, generally lasting a few weeks. In the more severe form, such as HIV infection, the immunodeficiency is permanent. Programmed death of T cells represents one of the mechanisms by which HIV determines the T cell functional impairment, finally resulting in the destruction of T cells. In this study, we evaluated whether an altered regulation of apoptosis was also implicated in the anergy associated with the common measles or varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infections in infancy. A spontaneous apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was observed in children who had suffered from these infections as long as 6 mo after the acute disease. Apoptosis was demonstrated through analysis of cellular DNA content, morphologic evidence of cell nuclei shrinkage, and by analysis of DNA degradation. Stimulation of T cells through anti-CD4 MAb increased the number of apoptotic cells with a maximal effect 72 h after the stimulation. Our results suggest that apoptosis may account for the anergy that follows acute viral infections in infancy.
Pignata
C
C
Department of Pediatrics, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
Fiore
M
M
de Filippo
S
S
Cavalcanti
M
M
Gaetaniello
L
L
Scotese
I
I
D017209:Apoptosis; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology