Elsevier

Virology

Volume 286, Issue 2, 1 August 2001, Pages 403-411
Virology

Regular Article
Viral Neuraminidase Treatment of Dendritic Cells Enhances Antigen-Specific CD8+ T Cell Proliferation, but Does Not Account for the CD4+ T Cell Independence of the CD8+ T Cell Response during Influenza Virus Infection

https://doi.org/10.1006/viro.2001.0992Get rights and content
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Abstract

In vitro studies demonstrate that the increased alloreactive T cell response to dendritic cells (DC) that are treated with either live or inactivated influenza virus A/PR/8/34 is due to viral neuraminidase (NA) activity. Since virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) play an important role in immunity to heterologous influenza strains, we compared the activation of CD8+ T cells by untreated and NA-treated DC. Increased CTL activity was induced by NA-treated DC both in vitro and in vivo. Since the generation of CTL in response to influenza virus infection does not require prior “activation” of DC by CD4+ T cells (as is the case for many antigens), we asked whether NA activity contributed to this unconditional CD8+ T cell response. This was not the case. Future studies will determine the factors that are responsible for the CD4+ T-cell-independent influenza virus-specific CTL response.

Keywords

influenza virus
neuraminidase
dendritic cells
cytotoxic T lymphocytes
CD8+ T cells
sialic acid
vaccines
ICAM-1

Cited by (0)

1

Current address: Division of Immunology, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne 3050, Australia.

2

To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed at current address: Virion Systems, 9610 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850. Fax: (301) 309-0471. E-mail: [email protected].