Interactions between T cells responding to concurrent mycobacterial and influenza infections

DO Co, LH Hogan, J Karman, E Heninger… - The Journal of …, 2006 - journals.aai.org
DO Co, LH Hogan, J Karman, E Heninger, S Vang, K Wells, Y Kawaoka, M Sandor
The Journal of Immunology, 2006journals.aai.org
CD4+ T cells are central in mediating granuloma formation and limiting growth and
dissemination of mycobacterial infections. To determine whether T cells responding to
influenza infection can interact with T cells responding to Mycobacterium bovis bacille
Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection and disrupt granuloma formation, we infected mice
containing two monoclonal T cell populations specific for the model Ags pigeon cytochrome
c (PCC) and hen egg lysozyme (HEL). These mice were chronically infected with PCC …
Abstract
CD4+ T cells are central in mediating granuloma formation and limiting growth and dissemination of mycobacterial infections. To determine whether T cells responding to influenza infection can interact with T cells responding to Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection and disrupt granuloma formation, we infected mice containing two monoclonal T cell populations specific for the model Ags pigeon cytochrome c (PCC) and hen egg lysozyme (HEL). These mice were chronically infected with PCC epitope-tagged BCG (PCC-BCG) and acutely infected with HEL epitope-tagged influenza virus (HEL-flu). In these mice, PCC-BCG infection is much more abundant in the liver than the lung, whereas HEL-flu infection is localized to the lung. We observe that both T cells have access to both inflammatory sites, but that PCC-specific T cells dominate the PCC-BCG inflammatory site in the liver, whereas HEL-specific T cells dominate the HEL-flu inflammatory site in the lung. Influenza infection, in the absence of an influenza-specific T cell response, is able to increase the activation state and IFN-γ secretion of PCC-BCG-specific T cells in the granuloma. Activation of HEL-specific T cells allows them to secrete IFN-γ and contribute to protection in the granuloma. Ultimately, infection with influenza has little effect on bacterial load, and bacteria do not disseminate. In summary, these data illustrate complex interactions between T cell responses to infectious agents that can affect effector responses to pathogens.
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