CD4+T Cell Responses to Cytomegalovirus in Early Life: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

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Abstract
We compared cytomegalovirus (CMV)—specific interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin 2 (IL—2), and CD154 CD4+ T cell responses of infants to those from chronically infected adults and from children aged 4–5 years. Magnitudes of the responses were similar, although coexpression of IFN-γ plus CD154 occurred more than coexpression of IFN-γ plus IL-2 or IL-2 plus CD154. Responses remained constant during infancy, although the proportion of IFN-γ—producing cells increased from infancy to adulthood. Most responding cells in infants were undifferentiated (i.e., CD27+CD28+), although IFN-γ—producing cells were disproportionately CD27−. By 12 months after diagnosis, viremia was rarely detectable, indicating that CMV was controlled despite the slow development of CMV-specific CD4+ T cell responses.