title: Persistence of herpes simplex virus type 2 VP16-specific CD4+ T cells.
abstract: Patients with genital herpes have frequent viral reactivations. The repeated antigenic rechallenges can modulate the CD4+ memory T-cell repertoires during the course of infection. In this study, the CD4+ T-cell responses against the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) tegument protein VP16 were studied in two HSV-2-infected subjects at two different time points that spanned a 5-year period. Although the VP16-specific T cells did exhibit variation of T-cell receptor Vbeta usages at the two time points, T cells that used identical Vbeta and CDR3 junction sequences were also observed at the two time points. These experiments demonstrate that the CD4+ T cells that are directed against HSV-2 VP16 protein in chronically infected individuals are oligoclonal and that T cells of specific clonotypes can be maintained throughout the course of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Danke
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Koelle
authors.forename: William W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Kwok
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000276:immunology*; D017405:Herpes Simplex Virus Protein Vmw65 / Q000276:immunology*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D017405:Herpes Simplex Virus Protein Vmw65; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta