Role of Stat4-Mediated Signal Transduction Events in the Generation of Aggressor CD4(+) T Cells in Herpetic Stromal Keratitis Pathogenesis.
Ocular infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes a vision-impairing inflammatory reaction called herpetic stromal keratitis. In murine models, herpetic stromal keratitis lesions appear to be immunopathologic, mediated by CD4(+) T cells of Th1 phenotype. To provide insight about cytokine networks and signaling events involved in the development of aggressor CD4(+) T cells, ocular HSV infection was followed in mice deficient in Stat4 (Stat4(/) mice), the signal transducer for the cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12). After ocular HSV infection of Stat4(/) and control BALB/c mice, clinical, histologic, and immunologic analyses were carried out. Further, to evaluate the involvement of Stat4 in the development of this aggressor population, naive CD4(+) T cells from Stat4(/) and BALB/c mice were adoptively transferred to C.B-17 SCID mice 1 day after corneal infection. Although Stat4(/) mice demonstrated increased susceptibility to lethal encephalitis and facial lesions, interestingly, these mice had less severe stromal keratitis in comparison to control animals. Adoptive transfer of naive CD4(+) T cells from Stat4(/) mice failed to produce disease in infected SCID recipients. The data imply a significant role of Stat4-mediated signaling events in the generation of an aggressor CD4(+) T cell population in stromal keratitis pathogenesis.[1]References
- Role of Stat4-Mediated Signal Transduction Events in the Generation of Aggressor CD4(+) T Cells in Herpetic Stromal Keratitis Pathogenesis. Banerjee, K., Biswas, P.S., Rouse, B.T. J. Interferon Cytokine Res. (2007) [Pubmed]
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