[Immunological defense to viral infections: focus on virus-specific T cells].
T cells play a central role in the control of and the protection against viral infections. The T cell population consists ofa diversity ofvirus-specific memory T cells. The characteristics of these T cells seem to depend largely on the type of virus for which they are specific. T cells directed against latent viruses, such as cytomegalovirus, are cytotoxic cells. T cells directed against viruses that after the initial infection are completely removed by the immune system, such as the influenza virus, are non-cytotoxic cells. The development of new immunological techniques, such as the detection of virus-specific cells with HLA-peptide tetrameric complexes, enables the characterization of the properties of virus-specific T cells in the blood and organs.
Afd. Inwendige Geneeskunde, Academisch Medisch Centrum/Universiteit van Amsterdam, Huispost F4-222, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam. g.j.debree@amc.uva.nl
G J
GJ
de Bree
E M M
EM
van Leeuwen
R J M
RJ
ten Berge
D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*