Persistent and selective deficiency of CD4+ T cell immunity to cytomegalovirus in immunocompetent young children

Abstract

Healthy young children who acquire CMV have prolonged viral shedding into the urine and saliva, but whether this is attributable to limitations in viral-specific immune responses has not been explored. In this study, we found that otherwise immunocompetent young children after recent primary CMV infection accumulated markedly fewer CMV-specific CD4(+) T cells that produced IFN-gamma than did adults. These differences in CD4(+) T cell function persisted for more than 1 year after viral acquisition, and did not apply to CMV-specific IFN-gamma production by CD8(+) T cells. The IFN-gamma-producing CD4(+) T cells of children or adults that were reactive with CMV Ags were mainly the CCR7(low) cell subset of memory (CD45R0(high)CD45RA(low)) cells. The decreased IFN-gamma response to CMV in children was selective, because their CCR7(low) memory CD4(+) T cells and those of adults produced similar levels of this cytokine after stimulation with staphylococcal enterotoxin B superantigen. CD4(+) T cells from children also had reduced CMV-specific IL-2 and CD154 (CD40 ligand) expression, suggesting an early blockade in the differentiation of viral-specific CD4(+) T cells. Following CMV acquisition, children, but not adults, persistently shed virus in urine, and this was observable for at least 29 mo postinfection. Thus, CD4(+) T cell-mediated immunity to CMV in humans is generated in an age-dependent manner, and may have a substantial role in controlling renal viral replication and urinary shedding.