Specificity and Dynamics of Effector and Memory CD8 T Cell Responses in Human Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Infection

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004622
• Publication Date: 2015-01-22T19:01:26Z
• Authors: Kim Blom; Monika Braun; Jolita Pakalniene; Laura Dailidyte; Vivien Béziat; Margit H. Lampen; Jonas Klingström; Nina Lagerqvist; Torbjörn Kjerstadius; Jakob Michaëlsson; Lars Lindquist; Hans-Gustaf Ljung...; Johan K. Sandberg; Aukse Mickiene; Sara Gredmark-Russ
• Keywords: Tick-borne encephalitis virus; Tick-borne encephalitis

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is transferred to humans by ticks. The causes tick-borne (TBE) with symptoms such as meningitis and meningoencephalitis. About one third of the patients suffer from long-lasting sequelae after clearance infection. Studies immune response during TBEV-infection are essential understanding host responses for development therapeutics. Here, we studied in detail primary CD8 T cell TBEV acute TBE. Peripheral blood cells mounted a considerable assessed Ki67 CD38 co-expression. These activated showed CD45RA-CCR7-CD127- phenotype at day 7 hospitalization, phenotypically defining them effector cells. An immunodominant HLA-A2-restricted epitope was identified utilized study characteristics temporal dynamics antigen-specific response. functional profile TBEV-specific dominated variants mono-functional matured. Antigen-specific predominantly displayed distinct Eomes+Ki67+T-bet+ peak response, which transitioned an Eomes-Ki67-T-bet+ infection resolved memory established. transcription factors thus characterize discriminate stages TBEV-infection. Altogether, responded strongly passed through phase, prior gradual differentiation into factor expression-patterns throughout different phases.