Molecular Diagnostics and Evaluation of Specific T-cell Responses in Infants with Primary Herpesviral Infections

George Kamkamidze, Maia Butsashvili

Department of Clinical Immunology, REA Rehabilitation Center, Tbilisi, Georgia; 
gia_rea@geo.net.ge

Among the viral pathogens, members of the Herpesviridae play most important role in development of generalized infections in newborns. Several recent investigations showed that antigen-specific T helper cells play a key role in induction of an effective immune response during acute viral infections as well as in maintenance of effective immune regulation in chronic viral infections. Blood samples from the two groups of infants selected from the newborn intensive care unit with HSV (n=16) and CMV (n=14) infections were studied by molecular (consensus PCR) and immunological (ELISA and EliSpot) methods. It was shown that infants could produce specific T cell immune response comparable to adult patients. Cumulative frequencies of specific T cell responses against HSV and CMV antigens were higher in survived infants in comparison with deceased infants. Our results indicate to the influence of the strength of the specific T cellular immune response on the outcome of the primary HSV and CMV infections.

Keywords:  herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, molecular diagnostics, consensus PCR, specific T cell response