title: Licensing virus-specific T cells to secrete the neutrophil attracting chemokine CXCL-8 during hepatitis B virus infection.
abstract: T cell functional plasticity helps tailor antiviral immunity during different phases of infections. We tested whether, during different phases of HBV infection, virus-specific T cells can acquire specific proinflammatory functions that could drive granulocyte/mononuclear cell liver infiltration. Multifunctional analysis of HBV-specific T cells during acute and chronic HBV infection revealed that HBV-specific T cells had the capacity to produce the neutrophil chemokine CXCL-8 but not IL-17. CXCL-8 producing T cells were detectable in the liver of chronic HBV patients with active hepatitis; while in acute HBV patients CXCL-8 production by T cells was temporally limited to the acute phase of disease, concomitant with the peak of liver inflammation. Characterization of the conditions necessary for the development of CXCL-8 producing T cells showed a requirement for IL-7 and IL-15 during T cell expansion. These data show that functional plasticity of virus-specific T cells spontaneously occurs during HBV infection and that an environment rich IL-7 and IL-15 can license T cells with the ability to produce CXCL-8 and potentially influence liver pathology.
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore. adam_gehring@sics.a-star.edu.sg
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Gehring
authors.forename: Sarene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Adeline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.forename: Komathi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Paramasivam
authors.forename: Valerie Suk Peng
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: Zi Zong
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Kang Hoe
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mala K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Maini
authors.forename: Krishnakumar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Madhavan
authors.forename: Seng Gee
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertoletti
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000494:pharmacology; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000494:pharmacology; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C508606:CXCL8 protein, human; D018925:Chemokines; D019409:Interleukin-15; D020381:Interleukin-17; D016209:Interleukin-8; D010455:Peptides; D014764:Viral Proteins