Analysis of the frequencies and of the memory T cell phenotypes of human CD8+ T cells specific for influenza A viruses.
We characterized the human CD8+ T cell response against influenza A viruses by a flow cytometry-based assay. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were incubated with inactivated influenza virus preparation, for 17 h, and were stained for intracellular interferon-gamma. Major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted memory CD8+ T cells specific for influenza antigens were detected in PBMCs from all 19 adult donors, at an average frequency of 0.39%. On average, 83% of influenza virus-specific CD8+ T cells expressed the differentiation-associated marker CD27, a percentage that is significantly higher than that of CD8+ T cells specific for pp65 of human cytomegalovirus (53%). These observations indicate that class I-restricted immunity against influenza A viruses is characterized by the persistence, after clearance of infection, of circulating antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. The different patterns of CD27 expression in influenza virus- and cytomegalovirus-specific CD8+ T cells suggest that influenza virus-specific memory and effector CD8+ T cells can be differentiated by phenotypic analysis.
He
Xiao-Song
XS
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA. xiaosong@stanford.edu
Mahmood
Kutubuddin
K
Maecker
Holden T
HT
Holmes
Tyson H
TH
Kemble
George W
GW
Arvin
Ann M
AM
Greenberg
Harry B
HB
D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7; D007371:Interferon-gamma