Abstract
The stimulatory properties of soluble recombinant influenza nucleoprotein (NP) on purified CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells from young and elderly individuals were studied. Recombinant influenza NP failed to induce proliferation of resting CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in the absence of IL-2. Addition of small amounts of IL-2, however, led to strong proliferation of resting CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells from young and elderly donors. NP-reactive CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell lines from both age groups grew equally well under long-term culture conditions. T cell lines raised to live influenza virus could recognize recombinant influenza NP and showed a substantial proliferative response. Stimulation of CD8(+) T cells is presumably due to cross-presentation, as EBV-transformed MHC class I-positive cell lines, which are incapable of antigen processing, stimulated live influenza virus-reactive CD8(+) T cell lines when loaded with NP-derived immunodominant peptides but not following loading with the whole NP molecule. Vaccines containing recombinant influenza NP might confer cross-protective immunity and could therefore be especially useful in cases of major epidemics or pandemics.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Aged
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Aged, 80 and over
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Aging / immunology
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Antigen-Presenting Cells / immunology
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Antigen-Presenting Cells / metabolism
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B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
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B-Lymphocytes / virology
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CD4 Antigens / immunology*
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
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CD8 Antigens / immunology*
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CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
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CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
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Cell Line, Transformed
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Cell Separation
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Cells, Cultured
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Female
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Herpesvirus 4, Human
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Humans
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Immunity, Cellular
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Influenza A virus / immunology
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Influenza Vaccines / immunology
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Influenza Vaccines / metabolism
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Interleukin-2 / pharmacology
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Lymphocyte Activation / drug effects
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Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
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Male
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Nucleocapsid Proteins
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Nucleoproteins / immunology*
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Nucleoproteins / metabolism
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RNA-Binding Proteins*
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Recombinant Proteins / immunology*
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Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
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T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
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T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
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Vaccines, Attenuated / immunology
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Vaccines, Attenuated / metabolism
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Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology
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Vaccines, Synthetic / metabolism
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Viral Core Proteins / immunology*
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Viral Core Proteins / metabolism
Substances
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CD4 Antigens
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CD8 Antigens
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Influenza Vaccines
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Interleukin-2
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NP protein, Influenza A virus
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Nucleocapsid Proteins
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Nucleoproteins
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RNA-Binding Proteins
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Recombinant Proteins
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Vaccines, Attenuated
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Vaccines, Synthetic
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Viral Core Proteins