Antigen-specific memory T cell distribution in non-lymphoid tissue

CD8+ T cells are the main adaptive immune system cell type responding to intracellular pathogens, particularly viruses, and tumor antigens. In the case of influenza, activated T cells migrate from the mediastinal (draining) lymph nodes to the lung where they perform their cytolytic function. After pathogen clearance, memory CD8+ T cells are generated, giving rise to long-term protection from reinfection. However, these cells are no longer detectable in the lung parenchyma six months post-infection, and cell-mediated immunity, and protection is lost. Knock-out studies in mice show that interleukin 15 (IL-15) is essential for memory CD8+ T cell proliferation. Fibroblasts, macrophages, dendritic cells and epithelial cells express IL-15 and its receptor isoform [alpha] (IL-15R[alpha]). Histological studies suggest that memory CD8+ T cells preferentially reside in peribronchiolar and perivascular areas, the stroma, of the lung. We hypothesize that memory CD8+ T cells preferentially reside in regions where molecules necessary for their maintenance, for example, IL-15/R secreting cells, are located. In this study, we have shown that antigen-specific 2C GFP effector memory CD8+ T cells are generated in B6 recipient mice 30-32 days after influenza virus infection, preferentially reside in peribronchiolar areas. Both 2C and 2C GFP recipient mice have severe vasculitis and widely distributed inflammatory infiltrates 7 days post-infection. Lower lung lobes appear to be more affected than upper lobes at this time point. On day 30, most of the airways have been cleared and restored. Although lymphoid-appearing nodules were detected in the lungs 31 dpi, no clusters of B cells and T cells suggesting induced BALT were identified by immunofluorescence.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Biological Engineering Division.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Olurinde, Mobolaji O

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Paul T. Matsudaira and Jianzhu Chen.

• Biological Engineering Division.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/40951

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/40951