γδ T cells facilitate adaptive immunity against West Nile virus infection in mice

Tian Wang, Yunfei Gao, Eileen Scully, C. Todd Davis, John F. Anderson, Thomas Welte, Michel Ledizet, Raymond Koski, Joseph A. Madri, Alan Barrett, Zhinan Yin, Joseph Craft, Erol Fikrig

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

60 Scopus citations

Abstract

West Nile (WN) virus causes fatal meningoencephalitis in laboratory mice, and γδ T cells are involved in the protective immune response against viral challenge. We have now examined whether γδ T cells contribute to the development of adaptive immune responses that help control WN virus infection. Approximately 15% of TCRδ-/- mice survived primary infection with WN virus compared with 80-85% of the wild-type mice. These mice were more susceptible to secondary challenge with WN virus than the wild-type mice that survived primary challenge with the virus. Depletion of γδ T cells in wild-type mice that survived the primary infection, however, does not affect host susceptibility during secondary challenge with WN virus. Furthermore, γδ T cells do not influence the development of Ab responses during primary and at the early stages of secondary infection with WN virus. Adoptive transfer of CD8+ T cells from wild-type mice that survived primary infection with WN virus to naive mice afforded partial protection from lethal infection. In contrast, transfer of CD8+ T cells from TCRδ-/- mice that survived primary challenge with WN virus failed to alter infection in naive mice. This difference in survival correlated with the numeric and functional reduction of CD8 memory T cells in these mice. These data demonstrate that γδ T cells directly link innate and adaptive immunity during WN virus infection.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1825-1832
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Immunology
Volume177
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1 2006

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

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