American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jun 2015
Chronic Infection by Mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa Associated with Dysregulation in T Cell Immunity to OprF.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is an environmental pathogen that commonly infects individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-CF bronchiectasis, impacting morbidity and mortality. To understand the pathobiology of interactions between the bacterium and host adaptive immunity and to inform rational vaccine design, it is important to understand the adaptive immune correlates of disease. ⋯ We have defined the immunodominant, HLA-restricted T-cell epitopes of OprF. Our observation that chronic infection is associated with a response of narrowed specificity, despite strong innate and antibody immunity, may help to explain susceptibility in these individuals and pave the way for better vaccine design to achieve protective immunity.