C. Pignata et al., APOPTOSIS AS A MECHANISM OF PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELL-DEATH AFTER MEASLES AND VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS-INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN, Pediatric research, 43(1), 1998, pp. 77-83
Viral infections may induce an acquired form of immunodeficiency, gene
rally lasting a few weeks. In the more severe form, such as HIV infect
ion, the immunodeficiency is permanent. Programmed death of T cells re
presents one of the mechanisms by which HIV determines the T cell func
tional impairment, finally resulting in the destruction of T cells. In
this study, we evaluated whether an altered regulation of apoptosis w
as also implicated in the anergy associated with the common measles or
varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infections in infancy. A spontaneous apo
ptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was observed in children
who had suffered from these infections as long as 6 mo after the acute
disease. Apoptosis was demonstrated through analysis of cellular DNA
content, morphologic evidence of cell nuclei shrinkage, and by analysi
s of DNA degradation. Stimulation of T cells through anti-CD4 MAb incr
eased the number of apoptotic cells with a maximal effect 72 h after t
he stimulation. Our results suggest that apoptosis may account for the
anergy that follows acute viral infections in infancy.