title: Maintenance of T cell function in the face of chronic antigen stimulation and repeated reactivation for a latent virus infection.
abstract: Persisting infections are often associated with chronic T cell activation. For certain pathogens, this can lead to T cell exhaustion and survival of what is otherwise a cleared infection. In contrast, for herpesviruses, T cells never eliminate infection once it is established. Instead, effective immunity appears to maintain these pathogens in a state of latency. We used infection with HSV to examine whether effector-type T cells undergoing chronic stimulation retained functional and proliferative capacity during latency and subsequent reactivation. We found that latency-associated T cells exhibited a polyfunctional phenotype and could secrete a range of effector cytokines. These T cells were also capable of mounting a recall proliferative response on HSV reactivation and could do so repeatedly. Thus, for this latent infection, T cells subjected to chronic Ag stimulation and periodic reactivation retain the ability to respond to local virus challenge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Laura K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wakim
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: van Vliet
authors.forename: Claerwen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Scott N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bannard
authors.forename: Douglas T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Fearon
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: Francis R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Carbone
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation / Q000821:virology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity*; D017950:Ganglia, Sensory / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D053804:Granzymes / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D017735:Virus Latency / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C562160:glycoprotein B, human herpesvirus 1; D053804:Granzymes