Early response to rotavirus infection involves massive B cell activation.
Rotavirus is an acute enteric pathogen which induces severe diarrhea in infants and children. To determine the immune response to rotavirus in vivo, we used a mouse model of rotavirus infection. We observed dramatic increases in the sizes of both Peyer's patches and mesenteric lymph nodes, but not spleen, between 1 and 6 days after infection with a homologous strain of murine rotavirus, EC wild type. Histological analysis showed large increases in the numbers of lymphocytes in these same tissues in rotavirus-infected mice. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed the increase in numbers of lymphocytes and revealed a large increase in the percentage of activated B, but not T, lymphocytes in both Peyer's patches and mesenteric lymph nodes of rotavirus-infected mice compared with control mice. Fragment cultures from these tissues established at 3-4 days postinfection contain rotavirus-specific IgM but not IgA Ab. A similar degree of lymphoid hyperplasia and percentage of activated B cells were observed in rotavirus-infected TCR knockout mice. Taken together, our findings show that rotavirus infection, in the context of a normal immune response, induces a large increase in the percentages of activated B cells in the absence of any detectable increase in the percentage of activated T cells, implicating a T cell-independent B cell response as the primary mechanism for initial rotavirus clearance.
Blutt
Sarah E
SE
Department of Molecular Virology, Baylor College of Medicine, and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Warfield
Kelly L
KL
Lewis
Dorothy E
DE
Conner
Margaret E
ME
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D000099192:CD69 Antigens