title: Apoptosis and loss of virus-specific CD8+ T-cell memory.
abstract: CD8(+) T-cell memory to viruses is stable in the absence but volatile in the presence of other infections. Apoptotic events that occur early in acute infections delete pre-existing memory T cells, leaving the host with reduced memory (except for cross-reactive responses) to previously encountered viruses. Apoptotic events also silence the acute immune response, leaving the host with a residual population of memory T cells. Persistent infections can induce apoptotic deletions of memory T cells that are specific to the persisting virus and to previously encountered pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA. Raymond.welsh@umassmed.edu
authors.forename: Raymond M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: Kapil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bahl
authors.forename: Xiaoting Z
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D017635:Clonal Anergy / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D014780:Viruses / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma