Cytotoxic CD8+ T cell ablation enhances the capacity of regulatory T cells to delay viral elimination in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis

Ciurkiewicz, M., Herder, V. , Khan, M. A., Uhde, A.-K., Teich, R., Floess, S., Baumgärtner, W., Huehn, J. and Beineke, A. (2018) Cytotoxic CD8+ T cell ablation enhances the capacity of regulatory T cells to delay viral elimination in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis. Brain Pathology, 28(3), pp. 349-368. (doi: 10.1111/bpa.12518) (PMID:28452087) (PMCID:PMC8028623)

Abstract

Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis (TME) of susceptible mouse strains is a commonly used infectious animal model for multiple sclerosis. The study aim was to test the hypothesis whether cytotoxic T cell responses account for the limited impact of regulatory T cells on antiviral immunity in TME virus-induced demyelinating disease (TMEV-IDD) resistant C57BL/6 mice. TME virus-infected C57BL/6 mice were treated with (i) interleukin-2/-anti-interleukin-2-antibody-complexes to expand regulatory T cells (“Treg-expansion”), (ii) anti-CD8-antibodies to deplete cytotoxic T cells (“CD8-depletion”) or (iii) with a combination of Treg-expansion and CD8-depletion (“combined treatment”) prior to infection. Results showed that “combined treatment”, but neither sole “Treg-expansion” nor “CD8-depletion,” leads to sustained hippocampal infection and virus spread to the spinal cord in C57BL/6 mice. Prolonged infection reduces myelin basic protein expression in the spinal cord together with increased accumulation of β-amyloid precursor protein in axons, characteristic of myelin loss and axonal damage, respectively. Chronic spinal cord infection upon “combined treatment” was also associated with increased T and B cell recruitment, accumulation of CD107b+ microglia/macrophages and enhanced mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor α. In conclusion, data revealed that the suppressive capacity of Treg on viral elimination is efficiently boosted by CD8-depletion, which renders C57BL/6 mice susceptible to develop chronic neuroinfection and TMEV-IDD.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This study was funded by the DeutscheForschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, BE 4200/1-2; HU 1300/5-2, FOR1103).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Herder, Dr Vanessa
• Authors: Ciurkiewicz, M., Herder, V., Khan, M. A., Uhde, A.-K., Teich, R., Floess, S., Baumgärtner, W., Huehn, J., and Beineke, A.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity > Centre for Virus Research
• Journal Name: Brain Pathology
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 1015-6305
• ISSN (Online): 1750-3639
• Published Online: 27 April 2017