T-cell exhaustion, co-stimulation and clinical outcome in autoimmunity and infection.

ABSTRACT: The clinical course of autoimmune and infectious disease varies greatly, even between individuals with the same condition. An understanding of the molecular basis for this heterogeneity could lead to significant improvements in both monitoring and treatment. During chronic infection the process of T-cell exhaustion inhibits the immune response, facilitating viral persistence. Here we show that a transcriptional signature reflecting CD8 T-cell exhaustion is associated with poor clearance of chronic viral infection, but conversely predicts better prognosis in multiple autoimmune diseases. The development of CD8 T-cell exhaustion during chronic infection is driven both by persistence of antigen and by a lack of accessory 'help' signals. In autoimmunity, we find that where evidence of CD4 T-ce

SUBMITTER: McKinney EF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4623162 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature