Evaluation of PD-L1 and TIM-3 Pathways in T Cells During Experimental Bovine Leukemia Virus Infection in Sheep.

ABSTRACT: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infects B cells in ruminants and causes lymphoma after an extended latency period. Previous studies have demonstrated T-cell exhaustion through the upregulation of immunoinhibitory molecules, including programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (TIM-3), in BLV-infected cattle. However, studying T-cell exhaustion across all BLV infection stages remains challenging due to the virus's prolonged latency in cattle. Sheep provide a valuable model, as they develop lymphoma more rapidly than cattle. This study examined PD-L1 and TIM-3 expression kinetics and T-cell function in BLV-infected sheep. During persistent infection, PD-L1 expression was correlated with BLV proviral load. TIM-3 expression increased in CD4⁺, CD8

SUBMITTER: Tiyamanee W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12474299 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature