| First Author | Mackay LK | Year | 2012 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 188 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 2173-8 |
| PubMed ID | 22271651 | Mgi Jnum | J:181277 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5310687 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.1102719 |
| Citation | Mackay LK, et al. (2012) Maintenance of T cell function in the face of chronic antigen stimulation and repeated reactivation for a latent virus infection. J Immunol 188(5):2173-8 |
| abstractText | Persisting infections are often associated with chronic T cell activation. For certain pathogens, this can lead to T cell exhaustion and survival of what is otherwise a cleared infection. In contrast, for herpesviruses, T cells never eliminate infection once it is established. Instead, effective immunity appears to maintain these pathogens in a state of latency. We used infection with HSV to examine whether effector-type T cells undergoing chronic stimulation retained functional and proliferative capacity during latency and subsequent reactivation. We found that latency-associated T cells exhibited a polyfunctional phenotype and could secrete a range of effector cytokines. These T cells were also capable of mounting a recall proliferative response on HSV reactivation and could do so repeatedly. Thus, for this latent infection, T cells subjected to chronic Ag stimulation and periodic reactivation retain the ability to respond to local virus challenge. |