Fratricide among CD8(+) T lymphocytes naturally infected with human T cell lymphotropic virus type I.
Infection and gene expression by the human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in vivo have been thought to be confined to CD4(+) T lymphocytes. We show here that, in natural HTLV-I infection, a significant proportion of CD8(+) T lymphocytes are infected by HTLV-I. Interestingly, HTLV-I-specific but not Epstein-Barr virus-specific CD8(+) T lymphocytes were shown to be infected. Furthermore, HTLV-I protein expression in naturally infected CD8(+) T lymphocytes renders them susceptible to fratricide mediated by autologous HTLV-I-specific CD8(+) T lymphocytes. Fratricide among virus-specific CTLs could impair the immune control of HTLV-I and possibly other lymphotropic viruses.
Hanon
E
E
Department of Immunology, Imperial College School of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom.
Stinchcombe
J C
JC
Saito
M
M
Asquith
B E
BE
Taylor
G P
GP
Tanaka
Y
Y
Weber
J N
JN
Griffiths
G M
GM
Bangham
C R
CR
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; D006801:Humans