@article{mbs:/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.028738-0, author = "de Lemos Rieper, Carina and Galle, Pia and Pedersen, Bente Klarlund and Hansen, Morten Bagge", title = "Characterization of specific antibodies against cytomegalovirus (CMV)-encoded interleukin 10 produced by 28 % of CMV-seropositive blood donors", journal= "Journal of General Virology", year = "2011", volume = "92", number = "7", pages = "1508-1518", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.028738-0", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.028738-0", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2099", type = "Journal Article", abstract = "Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has evolved multiple immunological evasion strategies, including the encoding of viral interleukin (IL)-10 homologues (cmvIL-10). In this study, cmvIL-10 bound avidly to the same receptors on blood mononuclear cells and was as bio-potent as native human IL-10. Seventeen percent of plasma samples from 3200 Danish blood donors (corresponding to 28 % of the anti-CMV IgG-positive donors) contained substantial levels of anti-cmvIL-10 IgG antibodies, as measured by a radioimmunoassay for human anti-cmvIL-10 antibodies. The antibodies neither cross-reacted with native human IL-10 nor with Epstein–Barr virus-encoded IL-10. Anti-cmvIL-10 antibodies potently inhibited the binding of cmvIL-10 to cellular receptors, and they specifically inhibited cmvIL-10-induced JAK–STAT signalling. Ultimately, anti-cmvIL-10 antibodies blocked the inhibitory effect of cmvIL-10 on lipopolysaccharide-induced tumour necrosis factor alpha and IL-1β from blood mononuclear cells. Taken together, our data signify that cmvIL-10 has been produced during CMV infection, and that anti-cmvIL-10 IgG antibodies represent an effective immunological counter reaction against cmvIL-10.", }