Cytomegalovirus Infection and Memory T Cell Inflation.
- Author:
Jihye KIM
1
;
A Reum KIM
;
Eui Cheol SHIN
Author Information
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords: Cytomegalovirus; T cells; Senescent T cells; Memory inflation; Immunosenescence
- MeSH: Aged; Cytomegalovirus Infections*; Cytomegalovirus*; Humans; Immunodominant Epitopes; Inflation, Economic*; Memory*; T-Lymphocytes
- From:Immune Network 2015;15(4):186-190
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in healthy individuals is usually asymptomatic and results in latent infection. CMV reactivation occasionally occurs in healthy individuals according to their immune status over time. T cell responses to CMV are restricted to a limited number of immunodominant epitopes, as compared to responses to other chronic or persistent viruses. This response results in progressive, prolonged expansion of CMV-specific CD8+ T cells, termed 'memory inflation'. The expanded CMV-specific CD8+ T cell population is extraordinarily large and is more prominent in the elderly. CMV-specific CD8+ T cells possess rather similar phenotypic and functional features to those of replicative senescent T cells. In this review, we discuss the general features of CMV-specific inflationary memory T cells and the factors involved in memory inflation.
