title: The salivary glands as a privileged site of cytomegalovirus immune evasion and persistence.
abstract: The salivary glands (SG) provide a haven for persistent cytomegalovirus replication, and in this regard are a privileged site of virus immune evasion. The murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) model has provided insight into the immunological environment of the SG and the unqiue virus-host relationship of this organ. In response to MCMV infection, a robust T cell-mediated immune response is elicited, comprised predominantly of CD8+ T cells that phenotypically and functionally appear activated. However, they fail to clear virus by an unknown evasion mechanism that is independent of inhibitory NKG2A- or Programmed Death 1-mediated signaling. Virus is eventually eliminated from the SG by effector CD4+ T cells expressing antiviral cytokines. However, this mechanism is severely dampened by high levels of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10, selectively expressed by SG CD4+ T cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 700 W. Olney Road, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA. campbeae@evms.edu
authors.forename: Ann E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Victoria J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Cavanaugh
authors.forename: Jacquelyn S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Slater
mesh_terms: D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology; D018146:Muromegalovirus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016753:Interleukin-10