title: High frequency of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-specific CD8+ T cells detected in a healthy CMV-seropositive donor.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) persists after infection but is controlled by cellular immune responses, particularly by CD8+ T cells. If infected individuals are immunosuppressed, HCMV can be reactivated. Upon testing the blood of healthy donors with human lymphocyte antigen tetramers, we found one individual with about 50% of his CD8+ T cells being specific for the immunodominant pp65 epitope NLVPMVATV Over a period of 2 years the high level of HCMV-specific T cells was maintained, and no HCMV DNA could be detected. At one timepoint, however, HCMV-specific DNA was detected, while 65% of CD8+ T cells were specific for HCMV. When virus was detectable, a lower percentage of HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells showed interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production after peptide stimulation in vitro. These data suggest that HCMV reactivation may also occur in immunocompetent persons, accompanied by the presence of HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells which are not producing IFNy, and therefore potentially anergic or in vivo exhausted.
authors.affiliation: The Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moris
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gouttefangeas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Teichgräber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wernet
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamprecht
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Rammensee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stevanovic
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000821:virology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D007371:Interferon-gamma