Cytomegalovirus-seropositivity has a profound influence on the magnitude of major lymphoid subsets within healthy individuals.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infects most individuals and elicits a strong CMV-specific immune response. We have studied the influence of CMV-seropositivity on the size of lymphoid subsets in healthy donors and demonstrate that the virus substantially modulates the peripheral lymphoid pool. CD8(+) T cell numbers are increased in all CMV-seropositive individuals because of a striking 60% increment in the CD8(+) T cell memory pool. The CD45RA(+) resting memory pool is doubled after CMV infection and increases further with age. The magnitude of the naïve CD8(+) T cell pool is dramatically reduced in CMV-seropositive individuals at all ages, and this accelerates the physiological decline by approximately 40 years. The number of CD4(+) effector memory T cells is increased in CMV-seropositive individuals and is differentially accommodated by a reduction in the number of naïve and central memory CD4(+) T cells in young and elderly donors respectively. CMV-seropositivity also increases the total number of B cells in older donors and suppresses the number of CD5(+) B cells. These data reveal that CMV has a profound influence on the immune system of all healthy individuals and add to growing concern regarding the clinical and immunomodulatory significance of CMV infection in healthy donors.
Chidrawar
S
S
CR UK Institute for Cancer Studies, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Khan
N
N
Wei
W
W
McLarnon
A
A
Smith
N
N
Nayak
L
L
Moss
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001782:Blood Donors; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018956:CD5 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000276:immunology; D017735:Virus Latency / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
D018941:Antigens, CD19; D015415:Biomarkers; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens