Surface phenotype and functionality of WNV specific T cells differ with age and disease severity.

West Nile virus (WNV) infection can result in severe neuroinvasive disease, particularly in persons with advanced age. As rodent models demonstrate that T cells play an important role in limiting WNV infection, and strong T cell responses to WNV have been observed in humans, we postulated that inade...

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Main Authors: Paolo Piazza, Curtis P McMurtrey, Alina Lelic, Robert L Cook, Rachel Hess, Eric Yablonsky, Luann Borowski, Mark B Loeb, Jonathan L Bramson, William H Hildebrand, Charles R Rinaldo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2010-12-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015343&type=printable
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author Paolo Piazza
Curtis P McMurtrey
Alina Lelic
Robert L Cook
Rachel Hess
Eric Yablonsky
Luann Borowski
Mark B Loeb
Jonathan L Bramson
William H Hildebrand
Charles R Rinaldo
author_facet Paolo Piazza
Curtis P McMurtrey
Alina Lelic
Robert L Cook
Rachel Hess
Eric Yablonsky
Luann Borowski
Mark B Loeb
Jonathan L Bramson
William H Hildebrand
Charles R Rinaldo
author_sort Paolo Piazza
collection DOAJ
description West Nile virus (WNV) infection can result in severe neuroinvasive disease, particularly in persons with advanced age. As rodent models demonstrate that T cells play an important role in limiting WNV infection, and strong T cell responses to WNV have been observed in humans, we postulated that inadequate antiviral T cell immunity was involved in neurologic sequelae and the more severe outcomes associated with age. We previously reported the discovery of six HLA-A*0201 restricted WNV peptide epitopes, with the dominant T cell targets in naturally infected individuals being SVG9 (Env) and SLF9 (NS4b). Here, memory phenotype and polyfunctional CD8+ T cell responses to these dominant epitopes were assessed in 40 WNV seropositive patients displaying diverse clinical symptoms. The patients' PBMC were stained with HLA-I multimers loaded with the SVG9 and SLF9 epitopes and analyzed by multicolor flow cytometry. WNV-specific CD8+ T cells were found in peripheral blood several months post infection. The number of WNV-specific T cells in older individuals was the same, if not greater, than in younger members of the cohort. WNV-specific T cells were predominantly monofunctional for CD107a, MIP-1β, TNFα, IL-2, or IFNγ. When CD8+ T cell responses were stratified by disease severity, an increased number of terminally differentiated, memory phenotype (CD45RA+ CD27- CCR7- CD57+) T cells were detected in patients suffering from viral neuroinvasion. In conclusion, T cells of a terminally differentiated/cytolytic profile are associated with neuroinvasion and, regardless of age, monofunctional T cells persist following infection. These data provide the first indication that particular CD8+ T cell phenotypes are associated with disease outcome following WNV infection.
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spelling doaj-art-a44c8b49ca0a4d189411cdb7694116652025-08-20T03:07:21ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032010-12-01512e1534310.1371/journal.pone.0015343Surface phenotype and functionality of WNV specific T cells differ with age and disease severity.Paolo PiazzaCurtis P McMurtreyAlina LelicRobert L CookRachel HessEric YablonskyLuann BorowskiMark B LoebJonathan L BramsonWilliam H HildebrandCharles R RinaldoWest Nile virus (WNV) infection can result in severe neuroinvasive disease, particularly in persons with advanced age. As rodent models demonstrate that T cells play an important role in limiting WNV infection, and strong T cell responses to WNV have been observed in humans, we postulated that inadequate antiviral T cell immunity was involved in neurologic sequelae and the more severe outcomes associated with age. We previously reported the discovery of six HLA-A*0201 restricted WNV peptide epitopes, with the dominant T cell targets in naturally infected individuals being SVG9 (Env) and SLF9 (NS4b). Here, memory phenotype and polyfunctional CD8+ T cell responses to these dominant epitopes were assessed in 40 WNV seropositive patients displaying diverse clinical symptoms. The patients' PBMC were stained with HLA-I multimers loaded with the SVG9 and SLF9 epitopes and analyzed by multicolor flow cytometry. WNV-specific CD8+ T cells were found in peripheral blood several months post infection. The number of WNV-specific T cells in older individuals was the same, if not greater, than in younger members of the cohort. WNV-specific T cells were predominantly monofunctional for CD107a, MIP-1β, TNFα, IL-2, or IFNγ. When CD8+ T cell responses were stratified by disease severity, an increased number of terminally differentiated, memory phenotype (CD45RA+ CD27- CCR7- CD57+) T cells were detected in patients suffering from viral neuroinvasion. In conclusion, T cells of a terminally differentiated/cytolytic profile are associated with neuroinvasion and, regardless of age, monofunctional T cells persist following infection. These data provide the first indication that particular CD8+ T cell phenotypes are associated with disease outcome following WNV infection.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015343&type=printable
spellingShingle Paolo Piazza
Curtis P McMurtrey
Alina Lelic
Robert L Cook
Rachel Hess
Eric Yablonsky
Luann Borowski
Mark B Loeb
Jonathan L Bramson
William H Hildebrand
Charles R Rinaldo
Surface phenotype and functionality of WNV specific T cells differ with age and disease severity.
PLoS ONE
title Surface phenotype and functionality of WNV specific T cells differ with age and disease severity.
title_full Surface phenotype and functionality of WNV specific T cells differ with age and disease severity.
title_fullStr Surface phenotype and functionality of WNV specific T cells differ with age and disease severity.
title_full_unstemmed Surface phenotype and functionality of WNV specific T cells differ with age and disease severity.
title_short Surface phenotype and functionality of WNV specific T cells differ with age and disease severity.
title_sort surface phenotype and functionality of wnv specific t cells differ with age and disease severity
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015343&type=printable
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