title: The role of IFN in respiratory syncytial virus pathogenesis.
abstract: Formalin-inactivated respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine preparations have been shown to cause enhanced disease in naive hosts following natural infection. In this study we demonstrate a similar pattern of enhanced disease severity following primary RSV infection of IFN-nonresponsive STAT1(-/-) mice. STAT1(-/-) mice showed markedly increased illness compared with wild-type BALB/c animals following RSV inoculation despite similar lung virus titers and rates of virus clearance. Histologically, STAT1(-/-) animals had eosinophilic and neutrophilic pulmonary infiltrates not present in wild-type or IFN-gamma(-/-)-infected mice. In cytokine analyses of infected lung tissue, IFN-gamma was induced in both STAT1(-/-) and wild-type mice, with preferential IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 induction only in the STAT1(-/-) animals. Eotaxin was detected in the lungs of both wild-type and STAT1(-/-) mice following infection, with a 1.7-fold increase over wild-type in the STAT1(-/-) mice. Using a peptide epitope newly identified in the RSV fusion protein, we were able to demonstrate that wild-type memory CD4(+) T cells stimulated by this peptide produce primarily IFN-gamma, while STAT1(-/-)CD4(+) cells produce primarily IL-13. These findings suggest that STAT1 activation by both type I (alphabeta) and type II (gamma) IFNs plays an important role in establishing a protective, Th1 Ag-specific immune response to RSV infection.
authors.affiliation: Children's Research Institute, Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA. durbinj@pediatrics.ohio-state.du
authors.forename: Joan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Durbin
authors.forename: Teresa R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Russell K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Durbin
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Mertz
authors.forename: Rafaella A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Morotti
authors.forename: R Stokes
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Peebles
authors.forename: Barney S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D005838:Genotype; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000235:genetics; D007372:Interferons / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D053633:Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D016207:Cytokines; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D007372:Interferons; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D053633:Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000096743:Interferon gamma Receptor; C494080:Stat1 protein, mouse