DG Bowen, NH Shoukry, A Grakoui, MJ Fuller, AG Cawthon, C Dong, DL Hasselschwert, KM Brasky, GJ Freeman, NP Seth, KW Wucherpfennig, M Houghton, CM Walker. (2008). " Variable patterns of programmed death-1 expression on fully functional memory T cells after spontaneous resolution of hepatitis C virus infection. " J Virol. 82, 5109-14. PMID: 18337576 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.00060-08
The inhibitory receptor programmed death-1 (PD-1) is present on CD8(+) T cells in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), but expression patterns in spontaneously resolving infections are incompletely characterized. Here we report that PD-1 was usually absent on memory CD8(+) T cells from chimpanzees with resolved infections, but sustained low-level expression was sometimes observed in the absence of apparent virus replication. PD-1-positive memory T cells expanded and displayed antiviral activity upon reinfection with HCV, indicating conserved function. This animal model should facilitate studies of whether PD-1 differentially influences effector and memory T-cell function in resolved versus persistent human infections.