Frequencies of circulating cytolytic, CD45RA+CD27-, CD8+ T lymphocytes depend on infection with CMV.
Viral infections may cause serious disease unless the adaptive immune system is able to clear the viral agents through its effector arms. Recent identification and functional characterization of subpopulations of human CD8(+) T cells has set the stage to study the correlation between the appearance of particular subsets and common viral infections during childhood, i.e., EBV, CMV, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and the attenuated measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine strains. In a cohort of 220 healthy children we analyzed lymphocytes and subpopulations of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. The presence of the cytolytic CD45RA(+)CD27(-) subset of CD8(+) T cells correlated with prior CMV infection as defined by seroconversion (p < 0.0001). The number of this CD8(+) T cell subset remained stable during follow-up over 3 years in 40 children. The CD45RA(+)CD27(-) subset of CD8(+) T cells first appeared during acute CMV infection and subsequently stabilized at an individual set-point defined by age and immunocompetence. The functional importance of these cells in CMV surveillance was reflected by their increased numbers in immunosuppressed pediatric kidney transplant patients. Preferential expansion of CD8(+)CD45RA(+)CD27(-) cytolytic T cells seems unique for CMV.
Kuijpers
Taco W
TW
Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. t.w.kuijpers@amc.uva.nl
Vossen
Mireille T
MT
Gent
Mi-Ran
MR
Davin
Jean-Claude
JC
Roos
Marijke T
MT
Wertheim-van Dillen
Pauline M
PM
Weel
Jan F
JF
Baars
Paul A
PA
van Lier
Rene A
RA
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000276:immunology; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007223:Infant; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D010375:Pedigree; D012008:Recurrence; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens