Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a herpesvirus that causes long-lasting infections in humans. Its prevalence is around 55-100%, depending on the different socioeconomic and geographic factors. Primary infection is generally asymptomatic in healthy hosts, but severe and sometimes fatal disease can occur in immunocompromised individuals and neonates.
CMV infection produces both direct and indirect alterations. Direct effects (or CMV disease) are marked by viral proliferation in a variety of tissues and organs. The indirect effects of CMV infection are due to the interaction between CMV and the host immune response. In these cases, dysfunctions of the immunomodulatory and inflammatory mechanisms that produce an alteration of normal immune cellular function occur, without having a direct cytopathic effect. Throughout life, CMV is periodically reactivated, although symptoms do not usually appear, since the infection is quickly controlled by the immune system. However, in immunosuppressed patients, whose immune system cannot keep CMV under control, symptoms similar to infectious mononucleosis, pneumonia, hepatitis, encephalitis, colitis, retinitis, etc. can also be triggered. This infection has also been shown to accelerate immunosenescence, that is, the aging of the immune system. In this sense, it is believed that chronic infection can contribute to inflammatory processes associated with age, increasing the risk of mortality. On the other hand, primary immunedeficiencies are a group of genetic disorders that affect the innate and adaptive immune system, causing a wide range of manifestations including autoimmunity, immune dysregulation, and malignancies, but infectious complications are the commonest. Secondary immunodeficiencies have increased in the last decade as a consequence of the application of treatments that are used to modulate the malfunction of the immune system in various diseases such as autoimmune diseases or hemato-oncological treatments. Both, primary and secondary immunodeficiencies can cause mismatches and favors CMV infection and/or reactivation.
The aim of this Research Topic is to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in the field of the immunity to CMV infections. Our aim is to gather articles on basic and clinical immunology related to the relation between the immune system and CMV, as well as possible therapeutic strategies. We welcome the submission of Original Research Articles, Review, Mini-Review, Hypothesis and Theory, and Perspective articles in the following areas:
1. Mechanisms regulating the CMV immune evasion.
2. Role of CMV in the alterations suffered by the immune system in patients with inflammatory chronic diseases: obesity, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.
3. CMV infection in the context of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies including tumor processes, viral infections, autoimmune diseases or hemato-oncological treatments.
4. Influence of CMV infection on the immunosenescence process associated to aging.
5. Therapeutic opportunities in the management of CMV disease.
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a herpesvirus that causes long-lasting infections in humans. Its prevalence is around 55-100%, depending on the different socioeconomic and geographic factors. Primary infection is generally asymptomatic in healthy hosts, but severe and sometimes fatal disease can occur in immunocompromised individuals and neonates.
CMV infection produces both direct and indirect alterations. Direct effects (or CMV disease) are marked by viral proliferation in a variety of tissues and organs. The indirect effects of CMV infection are due to the interaction between CMV and the host immune response. In these cases, dysfunctions of the immunomodulatory and inflammatory mechanisms that produce an alteration of normal immune cellular function occur, without having a direct cytopathic effect. Throughout life, CMV is periodically reactivated, although symptoms do not usually appear, since the infection is quickly controlled by the immune system. However, in immunosuppressed patients, whose immune system cannot keep CMV under control, symptoms similar to infectious mononucleosis, pneumonia, hepatitis, encephalitis, colitis, retinitis, etc. can also be triggered. This infection has also been shown to accelerate immunosenescence, that is, the aging of the immune system. In this sense, it is believed that chronic infection can contribute to inflammatory processes associated with age, increasing the risk of mortality. On the other hand, primary immunedeficiencies are a group of genetic disorders that affect the innate and adaptive immune system, causing a wide range of manifestations including autoimmunity, immune dysregulation, and malignancies, but infectious complications are the commonest. Secondary immunodeficiencies have increased in the last decade as a consequence of the application of treatments that are used to modulate the malfunction of the immune system in various diseases such as autoimmune diseases or hemato-oncological treatments. Both, primary and secondary immunodeficiencies can cause mismatches and favors CMV infection and/or reactivation.
The aim of this Research Topic is to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in the field of the immunity to CMV infections. Our aim is to gather articles on basic and clinical immunology related to the relation between the immune system and CMV, as well as possible therapeutic strategies. We welcome the submission of Original Research Articles, Review, Mini-Review, Hypothesis and Theory, and Perspective articles in the following areas:
1. Mechanisms regulating the CMV immune evasion.
2. Role of CMV in the alterations suffered by the immune system in patients with inflammatory chronic diseases: obesity, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.
3. CMV infection in the context of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies including tumor processes, viral infections, autoimmune diseases or hemato-oncological treatments.
4. Influence of CMV infection on the immunosenescence process associated to aging.
5. Therapeutic opportunities in the management of CMV disease.