Cellular immune response to Hantaan virus nucleocapsid protein in the acute phase of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome: correlation with disease severity.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The cellular immune response to Hantaan virus (HTNV) is incompletely understood, especially in humans.

METHODS:

To investigate the cellular immunity during acute HTNV infection, the magnitude of the CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell responses to HTNV nucleocapsid protein was quantitated by direct ex vivo interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot analysis, using an array of overlapping peptides.

RESULTS:

We found that the combined frequencies of HTNV-specific T cells at the earliest available time point (5-8 days after fever onset) were significantly higher in patients who had mild or moderate hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) than in those who had severe or critical HFRS (P= .006). Moreover, these frequencies were higher in patients with subsequent mild renal failure (maximum serum creatinine level, <or=707 micromol/L) than in those with subsequent severe renal failure (maximum serum creatinine level, >707 micromol/L) (P= .006). Kinetic analysis showed that a decrease in the serum creatinine level during the acute phase of illness was often accompanied by an increase in the magnitude of IFN-gamma-producing T cells.

CONCLUSION:

Taken together with published data on the similar associations with neutralizing antibody, these data suggest that IFN-gamma-producing T cells may help reduce the risk of progression to acute renal failure caused by HTNV infection.

• Authors: Meiliang Wang, Jiuping Wang, Yong Zhu, Zhuwei Xu, Kun Yang, Angang Yang, Boquan Jin
• Journal: The Journal of infectious diseases (J Infect Dis) Vol. 199 Issue 2 Pg. 188-95 (Jan 15 2009) ISSN: 0022-1899 [Print] United States
• PMID: 19072554 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Capsid Proteins
• Viral Core Proteins
• nucleocapsid protein, Hantaan virus
• Interferon-gamma

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Capsid Proteins (immunology)
• China
• Female
• Hantaan virus (immunology)
• Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (immunology, physiopathology, virology)
• Humans
• Immunity, Cellular
• Interferon-gamma (biosynthesis)
• Lymphocyte Activation
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Severity of Illness Index
• Viral Core Proteins (immunology)
• Young Adult