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Jodie S Haring

Publications and source records attributed to Jodie S Haring.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Aberrant contraction of antigen-specific CD4 T cells after infection in the absence of gamma interferon or its receptor.

Several lines of evidence from different model systems suggest that gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) is an important regulator of T-cell contraction after antigen (Ag)-driven expansion. To specifically investigate the role of IFN-gamma in regulating the contraction of Ag-specific CD4 T cells, we infected IFN-gamma-/- and IFN-gammaR1-/- mice with attenuated Listeria monocytogenes and monitored the numbers of Ag-specific CD4 T cells during the expansion, contraction, and memory phases of the immune response to infection. In the absence of IFN-gamma or the ligand-binding portion of its receptor, Ag-specific CD4 T cells exhibited normal expansion in numbers, but in both strains of deficient mice there was very little decrease in the number of Ag-specific CD4 T cells even at time points later than day 90 after infection. This significant delay in contraction was not due to prolonged infection, since mice treated with antibiotics to conclusively eliminate infection exhibited the same defect in contraction. In addition to altering the number of Ag-specific CD4 T cells, the absence of IFN-gamma signaling also changed the phenotype of cells generated after infection. IFN-gammaR1-/- Ag-specific CD4 T cells reacquired expression of CD127 more quickly than wild-type cells, and more IFN-gammaR1-/- CD4 T cells were capable of producing both IFN-gamma and interleukin 2 following Ag stimulation. From these data we conclude that IFN-gamma regulates the contraction, phenotype, and function of Ag-specific CD4 T cells generated after infection.

Animals↗

Inflaming the CD8+ T cell response.

Although inflammatory cytokines induced by infection or vaccination with adjuvants have long been known to stimulate optimal antigen-presenting cell function, recent evidence indicates that some inflammatory cytokines also act directly on the responding T cells to control their response to infection. Here, we review the evidence that specific inflammatory cytokines act to control the magnitude of expansion, the degree of contraction, and the rate of memory cell development. These data may suggest new strategies for manipulating vaccine efficacy in the quest to protect against pathogenic microbes.

CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes↗

In vivo generation of pathogen-specific Th1 cells in the absence of the IFN-gamma receptor.

The precise mechanisms that govern the commitment of CD4 T cells to become Th1 or Th2 cells in vivo are incompletely understood. Recent experiments demonstrate colocalization of the IFN-gammaR chains with the TCR during activation of naive CD4 T cells, suggesting that association of these molecules may be involved in determining lineage commitment. To test the role of IFN-gamma and its receptor in the generation of Th1 Ag-specific CD4 T cells, we analyzed mice after infection with Listeria monocytogenes or lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. In the absence of IFN-gamma, Ag-specific CD4 T cells were generated in response to both these infections. In addition, IFN-gamma-producing (Th1) Ag-specific CD4 T cells were generated in mice lacking the ligand-binding chain of the IFN-gammaR (IFN-gammaR1-/-) or the signaling chain (IFN-gammaR2-/-). There was no increase in the number of IL-4-producing Ag-specific CD4 T cells, nor was there a decrease in the expression of T-bet in the absence of functional IFN-gamma signaling, indicating that the cells were committed Th1 cells. Thus, both chains of the IFN-gammaR are dispensable for the generation of Th1 Ag-specific CD4 T cells after infection in vivo.

Animals↗

Accelerated CD8+ T-cell memory and prime-boost response after dendritic-cell vaccination.

Efficient boosting of memory T-cell numbers to protective levels generally requires a relatively long interval between immunizations. Decreasing this interval could be crucial in biodefense and cancer immunotherapy, in which rapid protective responses are essential. Here, we show that vaccination with peptide-coated dendritic cells (DCs) generated CD8+ T cells with the phenotype and function of memory cells within 4-6 d. These early memory CD8+ T cells underwent vigorous secondary expansion in response to a variety of booster immunizations, leading to elevated numbers of effector and memory T cells and enhanced protective immunity. Coinjection of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides, potent inducers of inflammation that did not alter the duration of DC antigen display, prevented the rapid generation of memory T cells in wild-type mice but not in mice lacking the interferon (IFN)-gamma receptor. These data show that DC vaccination stimulates a pathway of accelerated generation of memory T cells, and suggest that events of inflammation, including the action of IFN-gamma on the responding T cells, control the rate of development of memory CD8+ T cells.

Animals↗

Dynamic regulation of IFN-gamma signaling in antigen-specific CD8+ T cells responding to infection.

IFN-gamma plays a critical role in the CD8(+) T cell response to infection, but when and if this cytokine directly signals CD8(+) T cells during an immune response is unknown. We show that naive Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells receive IFN-gamma signals within 12 h after in vivo infection with Listeria monocytogenes and then become unresponsive to IFN-gamma throughout the ensuing Ag-driven expansion phase. Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells regain partial IFN-gamma responsiveness throughout the contraction phase, whereas the memory pool exhibits uniform, but reduced, responsiveness that is also modulated during the secondary response. The responsiveness of Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells to IFN-gamma correlated with modulation in the expression of IFN-gammaR2, but not with IFN-gammaR1 or suppressor of cytokine signaling-1. This dynamic regulation suggests that early IFN-gamma signals participate in regulation of the primary CD8(+) T cell response program, but that evading or minimizing IFN-gamma signals during expansion and the memory phase may contribute to appropriate regulation of the CD8(+) T cell response.

Animals↗

Bystander CD4 T cells do not mediate demyelination in mice infected with a neurotropic coronavirus.

Demyelination following infection of mice with the neurotropic coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus strain JHM (MHV) is immune-mediated. It has been demonstrated that MHV-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells are capable of causing demyelination independent of the other T cell subset. Recent work has also demonstrated that activated bystander CD8 T cells mediate significant demyelination. The ability of bystander CD4 T cells to mediate demyelination was investigated using CD4 T cell transgenic mice. The results indicated that bystander CD4 T cells were unable to cause demyelination in MHV-infected mice, despite being recruited into the central nervous system (CNS) and irrespective of activation status. These results suggest that CD4 T cells must recognize antigen in the CNS in order to cause demyelination.

Animals↗

Bystander CD8 T cell-mediated demyelination after viral infection of the central nervous system.

Multiple sclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the CNS, is characterized by immune-mediated demyelination. Many patients have a remitting-relapsing course of disease with exacerbations often following unrelated microbial illnesses. The relationship between the two events remains obscure. One possibility is that T cells specific for the inciting microbial pathogen are able to effect demyelination at a site of ongoing inflammation within the CNS. This possibility was examined in mice infected with mouse hepatitis virus, a well-described model of virus-induced demyelination. Using transgenic TCR/recombination activation gene 2(-/-) mice with only non-mouse hepatitis virus-specific T cells, we show that CD8 T cells are able to cause demyelination in the absence of cognate Ag in the CNS, but only if specifically activated. These findings demonstrate a novel mechanism for immune-mediated neuropathology and show that activated CD8 T cells may serve as important mediators of bystander demyelination during times of infection, including in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Animals↗