Canine distemper virus infection leads to an inhibitory phenotype of monocyte-derived dendritic cells in vitro with reduced expression of co-stimulatory molecules and increased interleukin-10 transcription.
Canine distemper virus (CDV) exhibits a profound lymphotropism that causes immunosuppression and increased susceptibility of affected dogs to opportunistic infections. Similar to human measles virus, CDV is supposed to inhibit terminal differentiation of dendritic cells (DCs), responsible for disturbed repopulation of lymphoid tissues and diminished antigen presenting function in dogs. In order to testify the hypothesis that CDV-infection leads to an impairment of professional antigen presenting cells, canine DCs have been generated from peripheral blood monocytes in vitro and infected with CDV. Virus infection was confirmed and quantified by transmission electron microscopy, CDV-specific immunofluorescence, and virus titration. Flow cytometric analyses revealed a significant down-regulation of the major histocompatibility complex class II and co-stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 in CDV-infected DCs, indicative of disturbed antigen presenting capacity. Molecular analyses revealed an increased expression of the immune inhibitory cytokine interleukin-10 in DCs following infection. Results of the present study demonstrate that CDV causes phenotypical changes and altered cytokine expression of DCs, which represent potential mechanisms to evade host immune responses and might contribute to immune dysfunction and virus persistence in canine distemper.
Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.
Visar
V
Qeska
Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Yvonne
Y
Barthel
Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.
Vanessa
V
Herder
Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany; Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Veronika M
VM
Stein
Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany; Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Andrea
A
Tipold
Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany.
Carola
C
Urhausen
Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany.
Anne-Rose
AR
Günzel-Apel
Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Karl
K
Rohn
Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany.
Wolfgang
W
Baumgärtner
Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Andreas
A
Beineke
D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D048430:Cell Shape; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D004216:Distemper / Q000276:immunology*; D004217:Distemper Virus, Canine / Q000276:immunology*; D004285:Dogs; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010641:Phenotype; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D016753:Interleukin-10; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase