title: Neutrophils are dispensable in the modulation of T cell immunity against cutaneous HSV-1 infection.
abstract: Neutrophils rapidly infiltrate sites of inflammation during peripheral infection or tissue injury. In addition to their well described roles as pro-inflammatory phagocytes responsible for pathogen clearance, recent studies have demonstrated a broader functional repertoire including mediating crosstalk between innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Specifically, neutrophils have been proposed to mediate antigen transport to lymph nodes (LN) to modulate T cell priming and to influence T cell migration to infected tissues. Using a mouse model of cutaneous herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection we explored potential contributions of neutrophils toward anti-viral immunity. While a transient, early influx of neutrophils was triggered by dermal scarification, we did not detect migration of neutrophils from the skin to LN. Furthermore, despite recruitment of neutrophils into LN from the blood, priming and expansion of CD4+and CD8+T cells was unaffected following neutrophil depletion. Finally, we found that neutrophils were dispensable for the migration of effector T cells into infected skin. Our study suggests that the immunomodulatory roles of neutrophils toward adaptive immunity may be context-dependent, and are likely determined by the type of pathogen and anatomical site of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne 3000, Australia.|The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3000, Australia.
authors.forename: Jyh Liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hor
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne 3000, Australia.|The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3000, Australia.
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne 3000, Australia.|The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3000, Australia.
authors.forename: Scott N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D056747:Immunomodulation / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*