Open AccessIn vivo induction of interferon-alpha in pig by non-infectious coronavirus: tissue localization and in situ phenotypic characterization of interferon-alpha-producing cells.
Author(s) -
Sabine Riffault,
C. Carrat,
Lydia Besnardeau,
Claude La Bonnardière,
Bernard Charley
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of general virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1465-2099
pISSN - 0022-1317
DOI - 10.1099/0022-1317-78-10-2483
Subject(s) - biology , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , alpha interferon , virology , interferon , in vivo , immune system , mhc class i , major histocompatibility complex , ex vivo , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , in vitro , biochemistry
A low frequency peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) subpopulation, referred to as natural interferon-producing (NIP) cells, is described as producing interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) following contact with non-infectious viral structures, namely viral glycoproteins. These cells are characterized in vitro as non-T, non-B, MHC class II+ and CD4+ cells. In this study, NIP cells were analysed in vivo after an intravenous injection of UV-inactivated transmissible gastroenteritis virus in newborn piglets, which resulted in strong serum IFN-alpha production. Splenocytes, but not PBMC, were the IFN-alpha producers in vivo. Using double immunohistochemical labelling for both IFN-alpha and leukocyte markers, we established that splenic NIP cells were not T or B cells. The majority were MHC class II+ and only a minority expressed a macrophage marker. NIP cells were localized in contact with MHC class II-expressing cells and T cells, which suggested that NIP cells might modulate the antiviral immune response.