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Immune cells of Ebola survivors show robust, sustained response
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A high proportion of T- and B-cells appear to be activated during the course of Ebola virus disease, according to data recently published in PNAS.
“Our findings counter the idea that Ebola virus infection is immunosuppressive, at least in the patients we were able to study,” Anita McElroy, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, said in a press release. “They also demonstrate the value that supportive care may have in enabling the immune system to fight back against Ebola virus infection.”
McElroy and colleagues examined the T- and B-cells of four Ebola survivors to gauge the immune system’s response to Ebola virus infection. Using the CDC’s biosafety level-4 laboratory space, they determined the frequency of activated immune cells, phenotyped activated CD8 T-cells, and measured the kinetics of each patient’s response.
Researchers found high levels of activation in all four patients. Plasmablast frequencies comprised 10% to 50% of B-cells, many of which were immunoglobulin G-positive. Markers of activation and proliferation were expressed in 5% to 30% of CD4 T-cells, while the same response was seen in more than 50% of CD8 T-cells. This immune activity was seen in some patients several weeks after discharge, suggesting ongoing antigen stimulation.
These results contrast previous beliefs concerning immunologic response to Ebola virus disease, the researchers wrote, as lymphopenia and inhibition of interferon response and infected antigen-presenting cells was observed among patients hospitalized with the infection.
“Not only was the magnitude of this response notable but the duration of these responses persisted into convalescence in some patients,” the researchers wrote. “Several viral proteins were targets of the Ebola virus-specific T-cell response, with the [nucleoprotein] being the major viral target of CD8 T-cells, suggesting the inclusion of this protein in future T-cell–based vaccine designs.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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