Immunological defense to viral infections: focus on virus-specific T cells
De Bree, G.J.; van Leeuwen, E.M.M.; ten Berge, R.J.M.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 151(44): 2440-2444
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 18064863 Document Number: 612448
T cells play a central role in the control of and the protection against viral infections. The T cell population consists ofa diversity ofvirus-specific memory T cells. The characteristics of these T cells seem to depend largely on the type of virus for which they are specific. T cells directed against latent viruses, such as cytomegalovirus, are cytotoxic cells. T cells directed against viruses that after the initial infection are completely removed by the immune system, such as the influenza virus, are non-cytotoxic cells. The development of new immunological techniques, such as the detection of virus-specific cells with HLA-peptide tetrameric complexes, enables the characterization of the properties of virus-specific T cells in the blood and organs.