title: Cytokines and persistent viral infections.
abstract: Intracellular pathogens such as the human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C and B or Epstein-Barr virus often cause chronic viral infections in humans. Persistence of these viruses in the host is associated with a dramatic loss of T-cell immune response due to functional T-cell exhaustion. Developing efficient immunotherapeutic approaches to prevent viral persistence and/or to restore a highly functional T-cell mediated immunity remains a major challenge. During the last two decades, numerous studies aimed to identify relevant host-derived factors that could be modulated to achieve this goal. In this review, we focus on recent advances in our understanding of the role of cytokines in preventing or facilitating viral persistence. We concentrate on the impact of multiple relevant cytokines in T-cell dependent immune response to chronic viral infection and the potential for using cytokines as therapeutic agents in mice and humans.
authors.affiliation: Cytokines and Adaptive Immunity Laboratory, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Beltra
authors.affiliation: Cytokines and Adaptive Immunity Laboratory, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Immunology and Rheumatology Division, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: helene.decaluwe@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Decaluwe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D051379:Mice; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Chronic viral infection; Cytokine; Exhaustion; T cell