Wildtype coxsackievirus infection dramatically alters the abundance, heterogeneity, and immunostimulatory capacity of conventional dendritic cells in vivo

• Published in: Virology (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2012-05, Vol.429 (1), p.74-90
• Main Authors: Kemball, Christopher C., Flynn, Claudia T., Hosking, Martin P., Botten, Jason, Whitton, J. Lindsay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0042-6822; 1096-0341
• DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2012.04.005

In vitro studies have shown that enteroviruses employ strategies that may impair the ability of DCs to trigger T cell immunity, but it is unclear how these viruses affect DCs in vivo . Here, we evaluate the effects of wild-type (wt) coxsackievirus B3 on DCs in vitro and in a murine model in vivo . Although CVB3 does not productively infect the vast majority of DCs, virus infection profoundly reduces splenic conventional DCs numbers and diminishes their capacity to prime naïve CD8 + T cells in vitro . In contrast to recombinant CVB3, highly pathogenic wt virus infection significantly diminishes the host’s capacity to mount T cell responses, which is temporally associated with the loss of CD8α + DCs. Our findings demonstrate that enterovirus infection substantially alters the number, heterogeneity, and stimulatory capacity of DCs in vivo , and these dramatic immunomodulatory effects may weaken the host’s capacity to mount antiviral T cell responses.