AUTHOR=Savarin Carine , Bergmann Cornelia C. , Hinton David R. , Stohlman Stephen A. TITLE=Differential Regulation of Self-reactive CD4+ T Cells in Cervical Lymph Nodes and Central Nervous System during Viral Encephalomyelitis JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=7 YEAR=2016 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2016.00370 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2016.00370 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=
Viral infections have long been implicated as triggers of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), a central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory demyelinating disorder. Epitope spreading, molecular mimicry, cryptic antigen, and bystander activation have been implicated as mechanisms responsible for activating self-reactive (SR) immune cells, ultimately leading to organ-specific autoimmune disease. Taking advantage of coronavirus JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus (JHMV)-induced demyelination, this study demonstrates that the host also mounts counteractive measures to specifically limit expansion of endogenous SR T cells. In this model, immune-mediated demyelination is associated with induction of SR T cells after viral control. However, their decline during persisting infection, despite ongoing demyelination, suggests an active control mechanism. Antigen-specific IL-10-secreting CD4+ T cells (Tr1) and Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), both known to control autoimmunity and induced following JHMV infection, were assessed for their relative