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Mucosal T‐cell responses to HIV: responding at the front lines
Author(s) -
Shacklett B. L.,
Critchfield J. W.,
Ferre A. L.,
Hayes T. L.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.625
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1365-2796
pISSN - 0954-6820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2008.02042.x
Subject(s) - ctl* , cytotoxic t cell , immunology , immune system , medicine , cd8 , antibody , virology , virus , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , gastrointestinal tract , biology , biochemistry , in vitro
. Mucosal surfaces of the body serve as the major portal of entry for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These tissues also house a majority of the body’s lymphocytes, including the CD4 + T cells that are the major cellular target for HIV infection. Mucosal surfaces are defended by innate and adaptive immune mechanisms, including secreted antibodies and CD8 + cytotoxic T cells (CTL). CTL in mucosal lymphoid tissues may serve to limit viral replication, decreasing the host’s viral burden as well as reducing the likelihood of sexual transmission to a naïve host. This review summarizes recent literature on HIV‐specific T‐cell responses in mucosal tissues, with an emphasis on the gastrointestinal tract.