Pattnaik A, Dhalech AH, Condotta SA, Corn C, Richer MJ, Snell LM, Robinson CM. A viral-specific CD4
+ T cell response protects female mice from Coxsackievirus B3 infection.
Front Immunol 2024;
14:1327384. [PMID:
38274806 PMCID:
PMC10808549 DOI:
10.3389/fimmu.2023.1327384]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background
Biological sex plays an integral role in the immune response to various pathogens. The underlying basis for these sex differences is still not well defined. Here, we show that Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) induces a viral-specific CD4+ T cell response that can protect female mice from mortality.
Methods
We inoculated C57BL/6 Ifnar-/- mice with CVB3. We investigated the T cell response in the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes in male and female mice following infection.
Results
We found that CVB3 can induce expansion of CD62Llo CD4+ T cells in the mesenteric lymph node and spleen of female but not male mice as early as 5 days post-inoculation, indicative of activation. Using a recombinant CVB3 virus expressing a model CD4+ T cell epitope, we found that this response is due to viral antigen and not bystander activation. Finally, the depletion of CD4+ T cells before infection increased mortality in female mice, indicating that CD4+ T cells play a protective role against CVB3 in our model.
Conclusions
Overall, these data demonstrated that CVB3 can induce an early CD4 response in female but not male mice and further emphasize how sex differences in immune responses to pathogens affect disease.
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