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Title: Cowpox virus inhibits human dendritic cell immune function by nonlethal, nonproductive infection

Journal Article · · Virology
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Center for Infectious Disease and Immunity, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  3. Dept. of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States)

Orthopoxviruses encode multiple proteins that modulate host immune responses. We determined whether cowpox virus (CPXV), a representative orthopoxvirus, modulated innate and acquired immune functions of human primary myeloid DCs and plasmacytoid DCs and monocyte-derived DCs (MDDCs). A CPXV infection of DCs at a multiplicity of infection of 10 was nonproductive, altered cellular morphology, and failed to reduce cell viability. A CPXV infection of DCs did not stimulate cytokine or chemokine secretion directly, but suppressed toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist-induced cytokine secretion and a DC-stimulated mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR). LPS-stimulated NF-{kappa}B nuclear translocation and host cytokine gene transcription were suppressed in CPXV-infected MDDCs. Early viral immunomodulatory genes were upregulated in MDDCs, consistent with early DC immunosuppression via synthesis of intracellular viral proteins. We conclude that a nonproductive CPXV infection suppressed DC immune function by synthesizing early intracellular viral proteins that suppressed DC signaling pathways.

OSTI ID:
21486929
Journal Information:
Virology, Vol. 412, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2011.01.024; PII: S0042-6822(11)00038-9; Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0042-6822
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English