Flavivirus serocomplex cross-reactive immunity is protective by activating heterologous memory CD4 T cells

Sci Adv. 2018 Jul 4;4(7):eaar4297. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aar4297. eCollection 2018 Jul.

Abstract

How previous immunity influences immune memory recall and protection against related flaviviruses is largely unknown, yet encounter with multiple flaviviruses in a lifetime is increasingly likely. Using sequential challenges with dengue virus (DENV), yellow fever virus (YFV), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), we induced cross-reactive cellular and humoral immunity among flaviviruses from differing serocomplexes. Antibodies against JEV enhanced DENV replication; however, JEV immunity was protective in vivo during secondary DENV1 infection, promoting rapid gains in antibody avidity. Mechanistically, JEV immunity activated dendritic cells and effector memory T cells, which developed a T follicular helper cell phenotype in draining lymph nodes upon secondary DENV1 infection. We identified cross-reactive epitopes that promote recall from a pool of flavivirus serocomplex cross-reactive memory CD4 T cells and confirmed that a similar serocomplex cross-reactive immunity occurs in humans. These results show that sequential immunizations for flaviviruses sharing CD4 epitopes should promote protection during a subsequent heterologous infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cross Reactions / immunology*
  • Dengue Virus / classification
  • Dengue Virus / immunology
  • Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / classification
  • Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / immunology
  • Epitopes / chemistry
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Flavivirus / classification
  • Flavivirus / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Immunity, Humoral
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / cytology
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / immunology
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Phylogeny
  • Yellow fever virus / classification
  • Yellow fever virus / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Epitopes