The effects of stress on memory cytotoxic T lymphocyte-mediated protection against herpes simplex virus infection at mucosal sites.
Psychological stress has been shown to affect many components of the innate and adaptive immune responses to a variety of pathogens including herpes simplex virus (HSV). Mucosal tissues are clinically relevant sites of infection with HSV as well as with many other common pathogens. However, there is a scarcity of experimental evidence that stress affects mucosal immunity. We have taken advantage of a murine model of HSV-specific immune protection that is mediated by only memory cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLm) specific for a single CTL recognition epitope within glycoprotein B of HSV-1 (gB498-505). This CTLm population is elicited by vaccination with a recombinant vaccinia virus, which expresses this epitope in the absence of any other HSV-encoded antigens. We report here that stress reduces the ability of gB498-505-specific CTLm to protect against a lethal intranasal or intravaginal HSV infection. Also, stress decreases the ability of these CTLm to limit virus levels at the mucosal site of infection but does not have a significant effect on the levels of virus in the innervating sensory ganglia. Finally, stress decreases protection against HSV-mediated pathology of the vaginal epithelium. These studies are the first to examine the effects of stress on CTLm activation and function in vivo.
Wonnacott
Keith M
KM
Department of Microbiology and Immunology (H107), The Pennsylvania State University Colloege of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA.
Bonneau
Robert H
RH
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D000818:Animals; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000821:virology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D000939:Epitopes; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C044525:glycoprotein B, herpes simplex virus type 2