HCV persistence and immune evasion in the absence of memory T cell help. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Spontaneous resolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in humans usually affords long-term immunity to persistent viremia and associated liver diseases. Here, we report that memory CD4+ Tcells are essential for this protection. Antibody-mediated depletion of CD4+ Tcells before reinfection of two immune chimpanzees resulted in persistent, low-level viremia despite functional intra-hepatic memory CD8+ Tcell responses. Incomplete control of HCV replication by memory CD8+ Tcells in the absence of adequate CD4+ Tcell help was associated with emergence of viral escape mutations in class I major histocompatibility complex-restricted epitopes and failure to resolve HCV infection.

publication date

  • October 24, 2003

Research

keywords

  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
  • Hepacivirus
  • Hepatitis C
  • Immunologic Memory

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0142178211

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1126/science.1088774

PubMed ID

  • 14576438

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 302

issue

  • 5645