Respiratory Influenza Virus Infection Causes Dynamic Tuft Cell and Innate Lymphoid Cell Changes in the Small Intestine
Shanley N. Roach, Jessica K. Fiege, Frances K. Shepherd, Talia D. Wiggen, Ryan C. Hunter, Ryan A. Langlois
Abstract
Influenza A virus (IAV) is a respiratory infection in humans that can lead to a wide range of symptoms and disease severity. Respiratory infection can cause systemic inflammation and damage in the intestines. Few studies have explored how inflammation alters the intestinal environment. We found that active infection caused an increase in the epithelial population called tuft cells as well as type 1 and 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in the small intestine. In the absence of tuft cells, this increase in type 2 ILCs was seriously blunted, whereas type 1 ILCs still increased. These findings indicate that tuft cells are necessary for infection-induced changes in small intestine type 2 ILCs and implicate tuft cells as regulators of the intestinal environment in response to systemic inflammation.