MEASLES VIRUS, IMMUNE CONTROL AND PERSISTENCE.

Tuesday, 18th of June 2013

[source]FEMS Microbiology Reviews[|source]

Did you know that measles infection is initiated in the respiratory tract followed by rapid spread of virus to local lymphoid tissue and then to multiple other organs? Did you know that it is the immature pulmonary dendritic cells or alveolar macrophages that capture and transport Measles virus from the  respiratory tract to regional lymph nodes where the immune response is initiated? The detailed measles virus description, pathogenesis, immune response/clearance and persistence of measles virus infection in causation of SSPE provided in this article is refresher for you. More datails are available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3319515/

Abstract

Measles remains one of the most important causes of child morbidity and mortality worldwide with the greatest burden in the youngest children. Most acute measles deaths are due to secondary infections that result from a poorly understood measles-induced suppression of immune responses. Young children are also vulnerable to late development of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a progressive, uniformly fatal neurologic disease caused by persistent measles virus (MeV) infection. During acute infection, the rash marks the appearance of the adaptive immune response and CD8+ T cell-mediated clearance of infectious virus. However, after clearance of infectious virus, MeV RNA persists and can be detected in blood, respiratory secretions, urine and lymphoid tissue for many weeks to months. This prolonged period of virus clearance may help to explain measles immunosuppression and the development of lifelong immunity to re-infection, as well as occasional infection of the nervous system. Once MeV infects neurons, the virus can spread transynaptically and the envelope proteins needed to form infectious virus are unnecessary, accumulate mutations and can establish persistent infection. Identification of the immune mechanisms required for clearance of MeV RNA from multiple sites will enlighten our understanding of the development of disease due to persistent infection.