Related Experiment Videos
Increased thymic output during acute measles virus infection
Sallie R Permar1, William J Moss, Judith J Ryon
1W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205-2179, USA.
Journal of Virology
|June 28, 2003
Summary
Measles infection in children causes a temporary drop in T lymphocytes and increased activated T cells. Thymic output does not appear to be the cause of measles-related immune suppression.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Measles virus impacts thymic epithelia, leading to lymphopenia and impaired cell-mediated immunity.
- Thymic function during measles infection remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize thymic function in children hospitalized with measles.
- To investigate the relationship between measles, lymphopenia, and cellular immunity.
Main Methods:
- Studied 30 Zambian children hospitalized with measles at entry, discharge, and 1-month follow-up.
- Compared measles patients to 17 healthy children.
- Analyzed percentages of naive and activated CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes.
- Measured T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circles (TRECs) and interleukin-7 levels.
Main Results:
- Hospitalization with measles decreased naive T lymphocytes and increased activated T lymphocytes.
- T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circles (TRECs) increased in CD8+ T cells early and CD4+ T cells later in measles patients.
- Elevated TRECs in CD4+ T cells and interleukin-7 levels persisted for 1 month post-discharge.
Conclusions:
- Measles infection alters T lymphocyte populations, increasing activated cells and TRECs.
- Increased thymic output, indicated by TRECs, suggests it is not the cause of measles-induced lymphopenia.
- Findings challenge the notion that decreased thymic output drives measles-related immune dysfunction.