Analysis of virus-specific CD4 T cells during long-term gammaherpesvirus infection

Abstract

Major histocompatibility complex class II-mediated antigen presentation after intranasal infection with murine gammaherpesvirus 68 differs in mediastinal lymph nodes and spleen. Evidence that virus-specific CD4+ T cells were being stimulated was found as late as 6 to 8 months after infection, and cells specific for the viral gp15067-83 and ORF11168-180 peptides were maintained as a fairly stable proportion of the total response.