Human Ebola virus infection results in substantial immune activation
Item
Click for External Resource*
Click to read full article*
*The link above may share a zip file (.zip) hosted on repository.netecweb.org. Zip files will download automatically.
*All other links are external and will open in a new window. If you click an external link, you are leaving the NETEC site, and we do not maintain, review, or endorse these materials. See our terms of use.
Files for Download
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4403189/pdf/pnas.201502619.pdf
Item Type
PublicationTerms of Use
By accessing these materials you are agreeing to our terms of use, which may be found here: Terms of Use.
Document Viewer
Title
Human Ebola virus infection results in substantial immune activation
Subject
Description
Four Ebola patients received care at Emory University Hospital, presenting a unique opportunity to examine the cellular immune responses during acute Ebola virus infection.
Date
2015-04-14
Type
Citation
McElroy, A. K., R. S. Akondy, C. W. Davis, A. H. Ellebedy, A. K. Mehta, C. S. Kraft, G. M. Lyon, B. S. Ribner, J. Varkey, J. Sidney, A. Sette, S. Campbell, U. Stroher, I. Damon, S. T. Nichol, C. F. Spiropoulou and R. Ahmed (2015). "Human Ebola virus infection results in substantial immune activation." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112(15): 4719-4724.
Abstract
Four Ebola patients received care at Emory University Hospital, presenting a unique opportunity to examine the cellular immune responses during acute Ebola virus infection. We found striking activation of both B and T cells in all four patients. Plasmablast frequencies were 10-50% of B cells, compared with less than 1% in healthy individuals. Many of these proliferating plasmablasts were IgG-positive, and this finding coincided with the presence of Ebola virus-specific IgG in the serum. Activated CD4 T cells ranged from 5 to 30%, compared with 1-2% in healthy controls. The most pronounced responses were seen in CD8 T cells, with over 50% of the CD8 T cells expressing markers of activation and proliferation. Taken together, these results suggest that all four patients developed robust immune responses during the acute phase of Ebola virus infection, a finding that would not have been predicted based on our current assumptions about the highly immunosuppressive nature of Ebola virus. Also, quite surprisingly, we found sustained immune activation after the virus was cleared from the plasma, observed most strikingly in the persistence of activated CD8 T cells, even 1 mo after the patients' discharge from the hospital. These results suggest continued antigen stimulation after resolution of the disease. From these convalescent time points, we identified CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses to several Ebola virus proteins, most notably the viral nucleoprotein. Knowledge of the viral proteins targeted by T cells during natural infection should be useful in designing vaccines against Ebola virus.
Accessibility
free online - Pubmed Central
Was this resource helpful?