| First Author | Moretto M | Year | 2001 |
| Journal | J Immunol | Volume | 166 |
| Issue | 12 | Pages | 7389-97 |
| PubMed ID | 11390490 | Mgi Jnum | J:123806 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3719554 | Doi | 10.4049/jimmunol.166.12.7389 |
| Citation | Moretto M, et al. (2001) Gamma delta T cell-deficient mice have a down-regulated CD8+ T cell immune response against Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection. J Immunol 166(12):7389-97 |
| abstractText | Gamma(delta) T cells have been reported to play an essential effector role during the early immune response against a wide variety of infectious agents. Recent studies have suggested that the gamma(delta) T cell subtype may also be important for the induction of adaptive immune response against certain microbial pathogens. In the present study, an early increase of gamma(delta) T cells during murine infection with Encephalitozoon cuniculi, an intracellular parasite, was observed. The role of gamma(delta) T cells against E. cuniculi infection was further evaluated by using gene-knockout mice. Mice lacking gamma(delta) T cells were susceptible to E. cuniculi infection at high challenge doses. The reduced resistance of delta(-/-) mice was attributed to a down-regulated CD8+ immune response. Compared with parental wild-type animals, suboptimal Ag-specific CD8+ T cell immunity against E. cuniculi infection was noted in delta(-/-) mice. The splenocytes from infected knockout mice exhibited a lower frequency of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells. Moreover, adoptive transfer of immune TCR(alpha)beta+ CD8+ cells from the delta(-/-) mice failed to protect naive CD8(-/-) mice against a lethal E. cuniculi challenge. Our studies suggest that gamma(delta) T cells, due to their ability to produce cytokines, are important for the optimal priming of CD8+ T cell immunity against E. cuniculi infection. This is the first evidence of a parasitic infection in which down-regulation of CD8+ T cell immune response in the absence of gamma(delta) T cells has been demonstrated. |
