Abstract:
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) persists after infection but is controlled by cellular immune responses, particularly by CD8+ T cells. If infected individuals are immunosuppressed, HCMV can be reactivated. Upon testing the blood of healthy donors with human lymphocyte antigen tetramers, we found one individual with about 50 % of his CD8+ T cells being specific for the immunodominant pp65 epitope NLVPMVATV. Over a period of 2 years the high level of HCMV-specific T cells was maintained, and no HCMV DNA could be detected. At one timepoint, however, HCMV-specific DNA was detected, while 65 % of CD8+ T cells were specific for HCMV. When virus was detectable, a lower percentage of HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells showed interferon γ (IFN-γ) production after peptide stimulation in vitro. These data suggest that HCMV reactivation may also occur in immunocompetent persons, accompanied by the presence of HCMV-specific CD8+ T cells which are not producing IFNγ, and therefore potentially anergic or in vivo exhausted.
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Received 6 March 2002; received after revision 15 April 2002; accepted 17 April 2002
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Lang, K., Moris, A., Gouttefangeas, C. et al. High frequency of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-specific CD8+-T cells detected in a healthy CMV-seropositive donor. CMLS, Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 59, 1076–1080 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-002-8488-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-002-8488-5