@article{47beb1b0df6a11ddb5fc000ea68e967b,
title = "Quantitative analysis of the acute and long-term CD4(+) T-cell response to a persistent gammaherpesvirus",
abstract = "The murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) replicates in respiratory epithelial cells, where it establishes a persistent, latent infection limited predominantly to B lymphocytes. The virus-specific CD4(+) T-cell response in C57BL/6 mice challenged intranasally with MHV-68 is detected first in the mediastinal lymph nodes and then in the cervical lymph nodes and the spleen. The numbers of MHV-68-specific CD4(+) T cells generated in congenic mice homozygous for disruption of the beta2-microglobulin gene tended to be higher, indicating that the absence of the CD8(+) set in this group resulted in a compensatory response. The peak frequency within the splenic CD4(+) T-cell population may reach 1:50 in the acute response; it then drops to 1:400 to 1:500 within 4 months and stays at that level in the very long term. Sorting for L-selectin (CD62L) expression established that all virus-specific CD4(+) T cells were initially CD62Llow, with >80% maintaining that phenotype for the next 14 months. The overall conclusion is that MHV-68-specific CD4(+) T cells remain activated (CD62Llow) and at a stable frequency in the face of persistent infection.",
author = "Christensen, {Jan Pravsgaard} and Doherty, {P C}",
note = "Keywords: Animals; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Female; Gammaherpesvirinae; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Time Factors; Virus Latency",
year = "1999",
language = "English",
volume = "73",
pages = "4279--83",
journal = "Journal of Virology",
issn = "0022-538X",
publisher = "American Society for Microbiology",
number = "5",
}