The human T cell immune response to Epstein-Barr virus.
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a gamma-herpes virus which establishes latent, life-long infection in more than 95% of the human adult population. Despite its growth transforming capacity, most carriers control EBV associated malignacies efficiently and remain free of EBV+ tumors. Though EBV is controlled by a potent immune response, this virus uses latency to persist in vivo. This review summarizes work which has been done to characterize T cell responses to EBV. The CD8 T cell responses are rather well characterized and have been shown by several groups to be highly focused towards early lytic antigens. Much less is known about CD4 T cell epitopes, due to the small size of the CD4 compartment. However, recent data indicate a control of lytic and latent cycles of EBV by specific CD4+ T cells. A clear understanding of the T cell response to EBV is important with a view to developing immunotherapies for the virus and its related malignancies.
Landais
Elise
E
INSERM U463, Institut de Biologie, Nantes, France.
Saulquin
Xavier
X
Houssaint
Elisabeth
E
D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D017735:Virus Latency