T cells specific for the triggering virus infiltrate the eye in patients with herpes simplex virus-mediated acute retinal necrosis.
Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a rare, potentially blinding retinal disease resulting from ocular infections with herpes simplex virus (HSV) or varicella-zoster virus (VZV). To determine the antigen specificity and functional characteristics of ocular infiltrating T cells in ARN, T cells were isolated and expanded nonspecifically from intraocular fluid (IOF) samples from 2 patients with HSV-1- and 3 with VZV-mediated ARN. HSV-specific T cell reactivity could be detected only in the IOF-derived T cell lines (TCLs) of the 2 patients with HSV-mediated ARN. These TCLs consisted of both HSV type-common and type-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell clones (TCCs) with differential T cell receptor usage. Irrespective of their phenotype, the TCCs were cytolytic and secreted interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-4, and interleukin-5. In both patients, the antigen specificity of a substantial number of HSV-1-specific TCCs could be mapped to approximately 0.67-0.73 HSV-1 map units. The data presented suggest the contribution of T cells, specific for the triggering virus, to the pathogenesis of ARN.
Verjans
G M
GM
Rotterdam Eye Hospital, and Institute of Virology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Verjans@viro.fgg.eur.nl
Feron
E J
EJ
Dings
M E
ME
Cornelissen
J G
JG
Van der Lelij
A
A
Baarsma
G S
GS
Osterhaus
A D
AD
D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005123:Eye / Q000276:immunology*; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology*; D006563:Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus / Q000276:immunology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics; D015882:Retinal Necrosis Syndrome, Acute / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D016207:Cytokines; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta