Follicular dendritic cell disruption as a novel mechanism of virus-induced immunosuppression

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610012113
• Publication Date: 2016-09-27T00:48:35Z
• Authors: Eleonora Melzi; Marco Caporale; Mara Rocchi; Verónica Martín; Virginia Gamino; Andrea di Provvido; Giuseppe Marruchella; Gary Entrican; Noemí Sevilla; Massimo Palmarini
• Keywords: Immunosuppression; Follicular dendritic cells

Arboviruses cause acute diseases that increasingly affect global health. We used bluetongue virus (BTV) and its natural sheep host to reveal a previously uncharacterized mechanism by an arbovirus manipulate immunity. Our study shows BTV, similarly other antigens delivered through the skin, is transported rapidly via lymph peripheral nodes. Here, BTV infects disrupts follicular dendritic cells, hindering B-cell division in germinal centers, which results delayed production of high affinity neutralizing antibodies. Moreover, humoral immune response second antigen also hampered BTV-infected animals. Thus, can evade antiviral inducing immunosuppression. Although transient, this immunosuppression occurs at critical early stages infection when likely affects systemic dissemination clinical outcome disease.