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Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol
. 2020 Jul 1.
doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2020-0169TR. Online ahead of print.
Age-dependent Differences in T Cell Responses to Influenza A Virus
Andrew D Prigge 1 2 , Ruihua Ma 3 , Bria M Coates 4 1 , Benjamin D Singer 5 6 , Karen M Ridge 3 6
Affiliations
- PMID: 32609537
- DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2020-0169TR
Abstract
Respiratory infections from influenza A virus cause substantial morbidity and mortality in children relative to adults. T cells play a critical role in the host response to influenza A virus by supporting the innate and humoral responses, mediating cytotoxic activity, and promoting recovery. There are age-dependent differences in the number, subsets, and localization of T cells, which impact the host response to pathogens. In this article, we first review how T cells recognize influenza A virus and examine differences in the resting T cell populations between juveniles and adults. Next, we describe how the juvenile CD4+, CD8+, and regulatory T cell responses compare to those in adults and discuss the potential physiologic and clinical consequences of the differences. Finally, we explore the roles of two unconventional T cell types in the juvenile response to influenza, natural killer T cells and gamma-delta T cells. A clear understanding of age-dependent differences in the T cell response is essential to developing therapies to prevent or reverse the deleterious effects of influenza A virus in children.
Keywords: Age-dependent; Influenza; Juvenile; T Cell; Viral pneumonia.