title: Surface marker patterns of T cells and expression of interleukin-2 receptor in measles infection.
abstract: The surface marker patterns of T cells of Ghanaian children during measles infection were studied and an attempt was made to demonstrate T cell activation and viability in vitro after activation in vivo by measles virus. The frequencies of CD4+ and CD8+ naive T cells in measles patients were high while their memory T cells were remarkably reduced with no sign of proliferation even at the acute phase of the illness. The reduction of memory T cells was prolonged during the convalescent phase (2 months after onset). The anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody-induced expression of interleukin-2 receptor alpha chain (IL-2R/CD25) was significantly suppressed; however, the addition of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or ionomycin caused a remarkable recovery of CD25 expression. On simple culture, an appreciable proportion of T cells from measles patients died rapidly in contrast with only a few T cells from healthy controls doing so. The suppression of CD25 expression was still demonstrated during the convalescent phase of the disease. Taken together these results suggest unresponsiveness and activation-induced cell death of T cells during severe measles infection in Ghanaian children. Furthermore the prolonged abnormalities of T cells (i.e. decreased memory T cells and inhibition of CD25 expression during the convalescent phase) might be related to post-measles infection immunosuppressive status.
authors.affiliation: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Addae
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamiya
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osei-Kwasi
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Akanmori
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Nkrumah
mesh_terms: D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002470:Cell Survival; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007223:Infant; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000276:immunology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2