Disregulated influenza A virus-specific CD8 T cell homeostasis in the absence of IFN-γ signaling

Abstract

Recent studies indicate that IFN-γ may influence both the expansion and the trafficking of virus-specific CD8+ CTL, though the effects are not necessarily consistent for different models of viral and bacterial disease. Influenza A virus infection of mice deficient for IFN-γ (IFN-γ-/-) or deficient for the IFN-γ receptor 1 (IFNGR1-/-) was, when compared with the wild-type (WT) B6 controls, associated with increased Ag-specific CD8+ T cell counts in the spleen and mediastinal lymph nodes. At the same time, fewer of these CTL effectors were found in the bronchoalveolar lavage population recovered from the IFN-γ-/- mice. Comparable effects were observed for WT mice treated with a neutralizing IF..