Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Yes the problem with the CMV (and EBV) T cells is too often ignored. Once these T-cells become more than 80% T-cell population your life expectancy is less than a year. You pretty much have leukaemia.

In my opinion we should be testing all people over the age of 65 for CMV and EBV and putting them on anti-herpies virus drugs to suppress the chronic low level viral turnover that is driving this T-cell clonal expansion.




I would really appreciate any references on this.


Have a look at this paper

Cytomegalovirus-seropositivity has a profound influence on the magnitude of major lymphoid subsets within healthy individuals

S Chidrawar, N Khan, W Wei, A McLarnon, N Smith, L Nayak, and P Moss

Clinical & Experimental Immunology 2009 vol. 155 (3) pp. 423-432

http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/j.1365-2249.2008.03785.x


Thanks!




Consider applying for YC's W25 batch! Applications are open till Nov 12.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: