CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells are required for protection against severe guinea pig cytomegalovirus infections.

ABSTRACT: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus and the leading cause of infectious disease related birth defects worldwide. How the immune response modulates the risk of intrauterine transmission of HCMV after maternal infection remains poorly understood. Maternal T cells likely play a critical role in preventing infection at the maternal-fetal interface and limiting spread across the placenta, but concerns exist that immune responses to infection may also cause placental dysfunction and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study investigated the role of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in a guinea pig model of primary cytomegalovirus infection. Monoclonal antibodies specific to guinea pig CD4 and CD8 were used to deplete T cells in non-pregnant and in pregnant guinea pigs after mid-gestation.

SUBMITTER: Rollman TB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11563410 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature