T cell recognition patterns of immunodominant cytomegalovirus antigens in primary and persistent infection

Replication of human cytomegalovirus is controlled by a vigorous CD8 T cell response. The persistent nature of infection is believed to periodically stimulate T cell responses resulting in considerable expansions of virus-specific CD8 T cells over time. In this study, we describe the magnitude and breadth of CD8 T cell responses against the immunodominant viral Ags, IE-1 and pp65, in acute and long-term infection using the IFN-gamma ELISPOT assay. Simultaneously, we have identified several novel MHC class I restricted CD8 T cell epitopes. Acute phase responses in immunocompetent donors appear to be extremely focused as early as 1 week post diagnosis with dominant peptide-specific responses observed against both proteins. These dominant responses remain detectable at all later time points over a 4-year follow-up. Interestingly the IE-1 responses show an increase over time whereas the pp65 responses do not, which contrasts with data showing that responses against both Ags are elevated in elderly individuals. We also observe the rapid emergence of an effector memory phenotype for virus-specific CD8 T cells as observed in persistent infection. Over time the revertant CD45RA(pos) effector cell population is also expanded, and this is more evident in the preferentially expanded IE-1 responses. We postulate that periodic low-level virus reactivation after the acute infection phase preferentially stimulates these responses whereas pp65-specific T cell expansions probably occur during the infrequent episodes of lytic viral replication or secondary infection.