1. T-Cell Receptor Heterogeneity among Epstein-Barr Virus-Stimulated T-Cell Populations
- Author
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Julia L. Hurwitz, S.D. Rencher, Karen S. Slobod, Jane E. Allan, and Andrew S. Freiberg
- Subjects
Herpesvirus 4, Human ,Cellular immunity ,Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta ,T-Lymphocytes ,T cell ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell ,chemical and pharmacologic phenomena ,Biology ,Lymphocyte Activation ,Virus Replication ,medicine.disease_cause ,Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Virus ,T-Lymphocyte Subsets ,hemic and lymphatic diseases ,Virology ,Superantigen ,medicine ,Humans ,Cytotoxic T cell ,Cells, Cultured ,Base Sequence ,T-cell receptor ,Epstein–Barr virus ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,DNA, Viral ,Immunology ,CD8 ,T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - Abstract
The mechanism by which Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) escapes T-cell activity during latency in immunocompetent individuals has long been debated. In order to identify potential weaknesses in the EBV-specific immune response, a study of T-cell receptors (TCR) within virus stimulated T-cell populations was performed. Membrane staining techniques and the polymerase chain reaction were used to address two questions: (1) Does EBV behave as a superantigen, thus stimulating, and possibly eliminating, T-cell subsets based on TCR V beta expression?, and (2) Are T-cells dependent on a predominant TCR V beta segment for effective cytotoxic function towards EBV? In search for superantigen effects, V beta repertoires among PBL from seropositive and seronegative individuals were compared both before and after short term in vitro exposure to EBV. In order to characterize functional TCR, the V beta usage among CD8+ EBV-specific cytotoxic T-cell clones was determined. Taken together, results illustrated the strengths rather than weaknesses of the EBV-specific T-cell immune response. T-cells did not respond to EBV in a manner typifying potent superantigen activity, nor did T-cells rely on the expression of a single V beta gene segment for efficient, EBV-specific cytotoxic function.
- Published
- 1993