Anti-IE1 CD4+ T-cell clones kill peptide-pulsed, but not human cytomegalovirus-infected, target cells.

Cellular immunity plays a major role in the control of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. CD4(+) T lymphocytes have been shown to contribute to this function but their precise role is a matter of debate. Although CD4(+) T cells have been shown to kill target cells through the perforin/granzyme pathway, whether HCMV-specific CD4(+) T cells are capable of killing HCMV-infected targets has not yet been documented.

Infection of APC by human cytomegalovirus controlled through recognition of endogenous nuclear immediate early protein 1 by specific CD4(+) T lymphocytes.

Infections by human CMV are controlled by cellular immune responses. Professional APC such as monocytes and macrophages can be infected in vivo and are considered as a reservoir of virus. However, CMV-specific CD4(+) responses against infected APC have not been reported.