Strong interaction between human herpesvirus 6 and peripheral blood monocytes/macrophages during acute infection.
Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) encodes a viral chemokine and chemokine receptors that may modify the functions of monocytes/macrophages (MO/M phi) during productive HHV-6 infection. The interactions between HHV-6 and MO/M phi during acute infection, however, remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the tropism of HHV-6 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) during acute infection. We detected 637 +/- 273 copies of viral DNA in 10(4) MO/M phi. in contrast, in 10(4) CD4+ T cells, which have been reported to be viral carriers during the acute infection of HHV-6, we found only 115 +/- 42 copies of viral DNA. Consistent with these data, virus was isolated from MO/M phi an order of magnitude more frequently than from CD4+ T cells. Viral mRNA U79/80, which indicates viral replication, was detectable in the MO/M phi. In addition, the mRNAs that encode viral chemokine receptors U12 and U51, which may modify the function of MO/M phi, were expressed in the cells. Therefore, productively infected MO/M phi may be the dominant cell population that is responsible for HHV-6 viremia during acute HHV-6 infection. The strong interaction of HHV-6 with MO/M phi may be partly responsible for the pathogenesis of this virus.
Kondo
Kazuhiro
K
Department of Microbiology, Osaka University Medical School, Osaka, Japan. kkondo@micro.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Kondo
Toshio
T
Shimada
Kazuya
K
Amo
Kiyoko
K
Miyagawa
Hiromi
H
Yamanishi
Koichi
K
D000208:Acute Disease; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005077:Exanthema Subitum / Q000821:virology*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000821:virology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011991:Receptors, Virus; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D011991:Receptors, Virus; C405384:U51 protein, human herpesvirus 6