Differential immune response of influenza A virus-infected dendritic cells and association with autophagy

Aim: We sought to study the responses of dendritic cells (DCs) after direct stimulation by different influenza A viruses. Materials & methods: Using bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) as a model, we measured the expression of surface markers, cytokine production and the priming effect on CD4(+) naive T cells. Results & conclusion: We found that all of the tested viruses induced BMDC maturation. Cytokine expression assays also demonstrated that activated BMDCs secrete higher levels of cytokines. Similar to the maturation degree, well-stimulated BMDCs induced higher levels of naive CD4(+) T-cell activation. Furthermore, we found that the PR8 and WSN influenza A viruse-induced BMDC functional activation was at least partially influenced by autophagy.