title: Organ-specific CD4+ T cell response during Listeria monocytogenes infection.
abstract: The immune response against the intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes involves both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. We used the MHC class II-presented peptide listeriolysin(189-201) to characterize the organ-specific CD4(+) T cell response during infection. Systemic listeriosis resulted in a strong peptide-specific CD4(+) T cell response with frequencies of 1/100 and 1/30 CD4(+) splenocytes at the peak of primary and secondary response, respectively. This response was not restricted to lymphoid organs, because we detected specific CD4(+) T cells in all tissues analyzed. However, the tissue distribution of the T cell response was dependent on the route of infection. After i.v. infection, the strongest CD4(+) T cell response and the highest levels of memory cells were observed in spleen and liver, the major sites of L. monocytogenes replication. After oral infection, we detected a strong response in the liver, the lamina propria, and the intestinal epithelium. These tissues also harbored the highest frequencies of listeriolysin(189-201)-specific CD4(+) memory T cells 5-8 wk post oral infection. Our results show that kinetics and magnitude of the CD4(+) T cell response and the accumulation of CD4(+) memory T cells depend on the route of infection and are regulated in a tissue-specific way.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Mischo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kursar
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bonhagen
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamradt
authors.forename: Stefan H E
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: Hans-Willi
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Mittrücker
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D007700:Kinetics; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D016207:Cytokines; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C038705:hlyA protein, Listeria monocytogenes