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Xizhi Guo, Paul G Thomas, γδ T cells orchestrate the induction of protective Type 2 immunity in neonatal influenza infection, The Journal of Immunology, Volume 200, Issue Supplement_1, May 2018, Page 168.6, https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.200.Supp.168.6
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Abstract
Influenza is a cause of hospitalization and mortality in infants. γδ T cells are the first T cells to develop during embryogenesis and are a significant component of the neonatal immune system. In the neonatal period, conventional αβ T cell responses are functionally less prominent. γδ T cells play critical regulatory and effector roles, but their relevance in neonatal influenza remains to be investigated. In our neonatal infection model, we found γδ T cells were protective against mortality associated with neonatal influenza infection. Infection induced the accumulation of γδ T cells, which transiently expressed IL-17a, rather than IFN-γ. Subsequently, this led to stronger Type 2 immune responses than the TCRδ-deficient animals, particularly in IL-33 production and amphiregulin-mediated tissue repair. Loss of γδ T cells did not alter viral clearance or conventional anti-viral responses. We also observed an association between IL-17a levels and clinical outcomes. Thus, our results identify a specific requirement for γδ T cells in influenza-infected neonates for initiating Type 2 immune responses, mediating tissue homeostasis, and promoting lung integrity, which may provide a new therapeutic target for pediatric influenza treatment.
