Premium
T‐Cell Immune Response to Human Herpesvirus‐6 in Healthy Adults
Author(s) -
Yakushijin Yoshihiro,
Yasukawa Masaki,
Kobayashi Yuzuru
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1991.tb01597.x
Subject(s) - immune system , biology , immunology , human herpesvirus , human herpesvirus 6 , virology , herpesviridae , virus , viral disease
The proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy adults to human herpesvirus‐6 (HHV‐6) was examined. It was found that PBMC from 13 of 14 HHV‐6‐seropositive adults apparently proliferated in response to stimulation with HHV‐6 antigen in contrast to the lack of response of cord blood mononuclear cells. In order to confirm the presence of HHV‐6‐specific memory T cells in the peripheral blood of healthy adults, we established HHV‐6‐specific T‐cell clones from an HHV‐6‐seropositive individual. CD4+ T‐cell clones generated from HHV‐6‐stimulated PBMC were found to proliferate upon stimulation with HHV‐6 in the presence of autologous antigen‐presenting cells, but not in response to herpes simplex virus type 1 antigen or mock‐infected control antigen, These results indicate that a T‐cell immune response against HHV‐6 infection is generally present in healthy adult populations.