Antiviral CD8 T cells in the control of primary human cytomegalovirus infection in early childhood.
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) establishes persistent infection, with control of replication thought to be mediated by CMV-specific CD8 T cells. Primary CMV infection commonly affects young children and causes prolonged viral shedding in saliva and urine. We investigated whether this virus-host interaction pattern reflects a developmental deficiency of antiviral CD8 T cell-mediated immunity during childhood. CMV-specific CD8 T cell responses in asymptomatic children with active infection were not different from adults with recent or long-term infection in frequency and functional analyses. High urine CMV concentrations were detected, despite these CMV-specific CD8 T cell responses. We conclude that delayed resolution of primary CMV infection in young children is not caused by a deficient CMV-specific CD8 T cell response. Because these healthy children continue to have local CMV replication, we suggest that CD8 T cells may function primarily to prevent symptomatic, disseminated disease.
Chen
Sharon F
SF
Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Tu
Wen-Wei
WW
Sharp
Margaret A
MA
Tongson
Eileen Cordoba
EC
He
Xiao-Song
XS
Greenberg
Harry B
HB
Holmes
Tyson H
TH
Wang
Zhaoti
Z
Kemble
George
G
Manganello
Anne-Marie
AM
Adler
Stuart P
SP
Dekker
Cornelia L
CL
Lewis
David B
DB
Arvin
Ann M
AM
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D014556:Urine / Q000821:virology
D007371:Interferon-gamma