Planchon Matthew S, Fishman Jay A, El Khoury Joseph
Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
Viruses. 2024 Nov 21;16(12):1809. doi: 10.3390/v16121809.
Monocytes are crucial players in innate immunity. The human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has significant impacts on monocyte effector functions and gene expression. CMV, a β-herpesvirus, disrupts key monocyte roles, including phagocytosis, antigen presentation, cytokine production, and migration, impairing their ability to combat pathogens and activate adaptive immune responses. CMV modulates monocyte gene expression, decreasing their capacity for antigen presentation and phagocytosis while increasing pro-inflammatory cytokine production, which can contribute to tissue damage and chronic inflammation. CMV also alters monocyte migration to sites of infection while promoting trans-endothelial migration, thus aiding viral dissemination. Additionally, the virus affects reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, thereby contributing to end-organ disease associated with CMV infection. Overall, these changes enhance viral persistence during acute infection and facilitate immune evasion during latency. We highlight the clinical significance of these disruptions, particularly in immunocompromised patients such as transplant recipients, where the modulation of monocyte function by CMV exacerbates risks for infection, inflammation, and graft rejection. An understanding of these mechanisms will inform therapeutic strategies to mitigate CMV-related complications in vulnerable populations.
单核细胞是固有免疫中的关键参与者。人巨细胞病毒（CMV）感染对单核细胞的效应功能和基因表达有重大影响。CMV作为一种β疱疹病毒，破坏单核细胞的关键作用，包括吞噬作用、抗原呈递、细胞因子产生和迁移，损害其对抗病原体和激活适应性免疫反应的能力。CMV调节单核细胞基因表达，降低其抗原呈递和吞噬能力，同时增加促炎细胞因子的产生，这可能导致组织损伤和慢性炎症。CMV还改变单核细胞向感染部位的迁移，同时促进跨内皮迁移，从而有助于病毒传播。此外，该病毒影响活性氧（ROS）的产生，进而导致与CMV感染相关的终末器官疾病。总体而言，这些变化增强了急性感染期间的病毒持久性，并在潜伏期间促进免疫逃逸。我们强调这些破坏的临床意义，特别是在免疫受损患者如移植受者中，CMV对单核细胞功能的调节会加剧感染、炎症和移植物排斥的风险。了解这些机制将为减轻脆弱人群中CMV相关并发症的治疗策略提供依据。
