Severe Human Lassa Fever Is Characterized by Nonspecific T-Cell Activation and Lymphocyte Homing to Inflamed Tissues.

ABSTRACT: Lassa fever (LF) is a zoonotic viral hemorrhagic fever caused by Lassa virus (LASV), which is endemic to West African countries. Previous studies have suggested an important role for T-cell-mediated immunopathology in LF pathogenesis, but the mechanisms by which T cells influence disease severity and outcome are not well understood. Here, we present a multiparametric analysis of clinical immunology data collected during the 2017-2018 Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria. During the acute phase of LF, we observed robust activation of the polyclonal T-cell repertoire, which included LASV-specific and antigenically unrelated T cells. However, severe and fatal LF cases were characterized by poor LASV-specific effector T-cell responses. Severe LF was also characterized by the presence of circulating

SUBMITTER: Port JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7565638 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature