title: Acute human herpesvirus-6A infection of human mesothelial cells modulates HLA molecules.
abstract: Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) causes ubiquitous infections and has been associated with several diseases in immunosuppressed and immune dysregulated individuals. Although considered a lymphotropic virus, HHV-6A has the potential to infect many cell types, inducing important alterations in the infected cell. In our search for additional potential targets for HHV-6A infection, we analyzed the susceptibility of human mesothelial cells to viral infection. HHV-6A infection was performed and analyzed on primary human mesothelial cells isolated from serous cavity fluid, infected in vitro with a cell-free HHV-6A inoculum. The results demonstrated that mesothelial cells are susceptible to in vitro HHV-6A infection, and more importantly, that the virus induces an alteration of HLA expression on the cell surface, inducing HLA class II and HLA-G de novo expression. Since mesothelial cells play a pivotal role in many processes, including inflammation and antigen presentation, we speculate that, in vivo, this virus-induced perturbation might be correlated to alterations in mesothelium functions.
authors.affiliation: Section of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caselli
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campioni
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavazzini
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gentili
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bortolotti
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuneo
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Luca
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000821:virology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens