CD4 T-cells and CD8zeta cells involved in mammalian host response to epithelial cell infections and uses thereof

摘要

MHC class II-restricted Chlamydia-specific CD4 T cell clones recognize infected upper reproductive tract epithelial cells as early as 12 hours post infection. The timing and degree of T cell activation are dependent on the interferon milieu. Different interferons have different effects on T-cell activation; interferon IFN-β blunts IFN-γ induced up regulation of epithelial cell surface MHC class II and T cell activation. A subset of CD4 T-cells that was especially good at clearing Chlamydia infections from the genital tracts of infected mice was found to express the genes Casd1 and Plac8. The mouse Casd1 genes shares some 95 percent identity with the human gene. The differential expression of either Plac8 or Casd1 in COD cells in response to an infection of epithelial tissue provides a ready methodology for the identification of individuals exposed to epithelial infections and a tool for developing vaccines against pathogens that infect epithelial tissue.

主权项

1. A method of identifying an agent that elicits an immune response in the epithelial tissue of a mammal, comprising the steps of:
culturing epithelial cells under a condition in which the epithelial cells do not exhibit interferon gamma inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS) activity; exposing a sample of epithelial tissue from the mammal said epithelial cells to an agent; co-culturing said exposed epithelial cells with CD8zeta cells or CD4 T-cells; performing at least one of the following assays on the CD8zeta cell or the CD4 T-cell selected from the group consisting of: flow cytometry to identify at least one of the following cell types, CD4 T-cells or CD8zeta cells that express Casd1 and Plac8; mRNA hybridization that is indicative of messenger RNA encoding at least one of the following polypeptides SEQ ID NO. 1, SEQ ID NO. 2, SEQ ID NO. 3, SEQ ID NO. 4, SEQ ID NO. 5, SEQ ID NO. 6; micro array that binds to at least one polynucleotide that encodes information of the translation of one of the following polypeptides SEQ ID NO. 1, SEQ ID NO. 2, SEQ ID NO. 3, SEQ ID NO. 4, SEQ ID NO. 5, SEQ ID NO. 6; and Western blotting that preferentially detects at least one of the following polypeptides SEQ ID NO. 1, SEQ ID NO. 2, SEQ ID NO. 3, SEQ ID NO. 4, SEQ ID NO. 5, SEQ ID NO. 6; anddetecting the presence of CD8zeta cells or CD4 T-cells, wherein said cells express Casd1 and/or Plac8.