Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte (CTL) Responses to Human Cytomegalovirus pp65, IE1-Exon4, gB, pp150, and pp28 in Healthy Individuals: Reevaluation of Prevalence of IE1-Specific CTLs

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 181; no. 5; pp. 1537 - 1546
• Main Authors: Gyulai, Zsofia, Endresz, Valeria, Burian, Katalin, Pincus, Steve, Toldy, Joseph, Cox, William I., Meric, Claude, Plotkin, Stanley, Gönczöl, Eva, Berencsi, Klara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.05.2000; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Adult; AIDS/HIV; Alleles; Antigens; Antigens, Viral - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cell lines; Continental Population Groups; Cultured cells; Cytomegalovirus; Cytomegalovirus - genetics; Cytomegalovirus - immunology; Exons; gB protein; glycoprotein B; HLA antigens; human cytomegalovirus; Human viral diseases; Humans; IE1-exon4 protein; immediate early protein 1; Immediate-Early Proteins - genetics; Immediate-Early Proteins - immunology; Infections; Infectious diseases; Lymphocytes; Major Articles; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Phosphoproteins - immunology; pp150 protein; pp28 protein; pp65 protein; Reference Values; T lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - virology; Viral diseases; Viral Envelope Proteins - immunology; Viral Matrix Proteins - immunology; Viral Proteins - immunology; Viruses; Human; Seropositivity; Immune response; Herpesviridae; Cytotoxicity; Cellular immunity; Betaherpesvirinae; Cell subpopulation; Human cytomegalovirus; Virus; Characterization; Phenotype; Specificity; T-Lymphocyte
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/315445

The prevalence of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) pp65-, pp150-, IE1-exon4—, gB- and pp28-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses was compared among 34 healthy individuals, grouped by neutralizing antibody titers. Moderately and highly seropositive donors showed predominantly pp65- and IE1-exon4—specific CTL responses (92% and 76% of the donors, respectively), with similar precursor frequencies in the 2 donors tested. In addition, highly seropositive and a few moderately seropositive donors showed CTL responses to gB and pp150 (33% and 30% of the donors, respectively). No individual recognized pp28 as a target in the CTL assay. Phenotypic analysis revealed a mixed effector population of CD4+ and CD8+ (1 donor) or only CD8+ cells for pp65-specific effectors (2 donors). IE1-exon4— and pp150-specific effectors were CD8+ (2 donors and 1 donor, respectively), whereas gB-specific CTLs were CD4+ (1 donor). These data may help to design a cellular immunity-based vaccine effective against HCMV diseases.