Suppression of monocyte functions by human cytomegalovirus

The role of the monocyte in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-induced immunosuppression was examined by assessing the ability of the virus to directly suppress various monocyte accessory cell functions. Both patient-derived and laboratory-adapted strains of HCMV were capable of impairing antigen-presenting functions of purified human monocytes. In seven of 12 virus-infected samples, there was a significant decrease (P less than 0.05) in the ability of HCMV-infected monocytes to present tetanus toxoid to autologous lymphocytes compared with mock-infected controls; similar results were obtained with Candida albicans and mumps. In contrast, the response to PHA was impaired in only one of eight HCMV-infected samples. The increased expression of MHC class II Ia antigens (HLA-DQ and HLA-DR) by monocytes after stimulation by interferon-gamma was impaired in approximately one-third of the 43 virus-infected samples tested. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) production after incubation with the stimulating antigens, however, was unaffected. Attempts to augment immuno-suppression by co-stimulation of monocytes with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), heat-killed Escherichia coli or Listeria monocytogenes were not successful; however, dramatically increased levels of immunosuppression was obtained with HCMV preparations containing mycoplasma. Thus, although HCMV is capable of directly perturbing monocyte accessory cell functions, the variability and partial suppression observed suggests that infection of monocytes by HCMV alone is not sufficient to produce the levels of immune hyporesponsiveness observed in HCMV-infected patients.