Autocrine type I IFN and contact with endothelium promote the presentation of influenza A virus by monocyte-derived APC

Purified monocytes infected with influenza A virus do not become mature dendritic cells (DCs) and they present viral peptides poorly to autologous memory T cells. In this study, we investigated whether influenza A-infected monocytes matured to DCs with a high capacity to stimulate T cells when they were infected with influenza A virus in a model tissue setting wherein they were cocultured with endothelium grown on a type I collagen matrix. Intercellular interactions with endothelium strongly promoted the Ag-presenting capacity of monocyte-derived cells infected with influenza A virus, and the heterologous coculture system also enhanced production of IFN-α by monocytes in the absence of plasmacytoid cells. Production of IFN-α in the presence of endothelium correlated with monocyte differentiation to mature DCs and their ability to stimulate proliferation and IFN-γ production by autologous T cells. Monocyte-derived cells that developed into migratory DCs promoted proliferation of influenza A virus-specific CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ cells, whereas those that developed into macrophages promoted proliferation of CD8⁺ T cells only. This onset of APC activity could be partially blocked with Ab to the IFN-αβ receptor when monocytes were infected with UV-treated virus, but neutralizing this pathway was inconsequential when monocytes were infected with live virus. Thus, type I IFN and direct contact with endothelium promote development of influenza A virus-presenting activity in monocyte-derived cells in a setting in which this differentiation does not depend on plasmacytoid cells. However, when infected with live influenza virus, the role of type I IFN in mediating differentiation and Ag-presenting capacity is expendable, apparently due to other mechanisms of virus-mediated activation.