Persistent antigen presentation after acute vesicular stomatitis virus infection.
Long-term antigen expression is believed to play an important role in modulation of T-cell responses to chronic virus infections. However, recent studies suggest that immune responses may occur late after apparently acute infections. We have now analyzed the CD8 T-cell response to vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which is thought to cause to an infection characterized by rapid virus clearance by innate and adaptive immune system components. Unexpectedly, virus-encoded antigen was detectable more than 6 weeks after intranasal VSV infection in both draining and nondraining lymph nodes by adoptively transferred CD8 T cells. Infection with Listeria monocytogenes expressing the same antigen did not result in prolonged antigen presentation. Weeks after VSV infection, discrete T-cell clustering with dendritic cells within the lymph node was observed after transfer of antigen-specific CD8 T cells. Moreover, memory CD8 T cells as defined by phenotype and function were generated from naïve CD8 T cells entering the response late after infection. These findings suggested that protracted antigen presentation after an apparently acute virus infection may contribute to an ongoing antiviral immune response.
Turner
Damian L
DL
Department of Immunology, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-1319, USA.
Cauley
Linda S
LS
Khanna
Kamal M
KM
Lefrançois
Leo
L
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral