Memory Inflation During Chronic Viral Infection is Maintained by Continuous Production of Short-lived, Functional T Cells

Overview

Journal Immunity

Publisher Cell Press

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2008 Oct 30

PMID 18957267

Citations 196

Authors

Christopher M Snyder

Kathy S Cho

Elizabeth L Bonnett

Serani van Dommelen

Geoffrey R Shellam

Ann B Hill

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

During persistent murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection, the T cell response is maintained at extremely high intensity for the life of the host. These cells closely resemble human CMV-specific cells, which compose a major component of the peripheral T cell compartment in most people. Despite a phenotype that suggests extensive antigen-driven differentiation, MCMV-specific T cells remain functional and respond vigorously to viral challenge. We hypothesized that a low rate of antigen-driven proliferation would account for the maintenance of this population. Instead, we found that most of these cells divided only sporadically in chronically infected hosts and had a short half-life in circulation. The overall population was supported, at least in part, by memory T cells primed early in infection, as well as by recruitment of naive T cells at late times. Thus, these data show that memory inflation is maintained by a continuous replacement of short-lived, functional cells during chronic MCMV infection.

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