Targeting CD8+ T Cell Immunopathology to Improve Survival of Viral Pneumonia in Mice

Objective: Viral pneumonias cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The emergence of novel SARSCoV- 2 emphasizes the need for novel antiviral therapies. Dexamethasone (DXM) is one therapy that has recently been reported to confer benefit in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our lab has recently reported that CD8+ T cells were associated with fatal immunopathology causing mortality in a mouse model of severe Sendai paramyxovirus (SeV) pneumonia, and this fatal immunopathology could be prevented either by eliciting a robust, early antiviral response via inhalational treatment with Toll-like receptor agonists (Pam2-ODN) or by depletion of CD8+ T cells during late stage SeV pneumonia. Given the lympholytic effects of DXM, we tested our hypothesis that the reported survival advantage of DXM in severe viral pneumonia derives from CD8+ T cell- mediated immunopathology. Methods: Mice were intrapharyngeally infected with SeV with or without Pam2-ODN pretreatment, then observed for 14 days. Some mice were intraperitoneally injected with DXM (5mg/kg) every day starting day 0 or day 8 after infection. CD8+ T cells were assessed on day 10 after infection by flow cytometry of digested mouse lungs. Results: Treatment with DXM starting on day 8 enhanced mouse survival of SeV pneumonia, whereas mice treated with DXM from day -1 onward demonstrated increased susceptibility to SeV pneumonia. Mice treated with CD8+ T cell depleting antibody on day 8 displayed 100% survival. DXM treated mice displayed reduced CD8+ T cells in comparison to PBS treated SeV challenged mice, supporting our hypothesis. Consistent with our recent report, mice aerosolized with Pam2-ODN displayed 100% survival of SeV pneumonia with reduced CD8+ T cell lung influx on day 10. Conclusion: These data suggest that the survival benefit of DXM in severe viral pneumonia results from reduced CD8+ T cell-mediated immunopathology. Improved outcomes appear likely to be achieved by either use of broad immunosuppressive agents such as DXM or a targeted approach to deplete CD8+ T cells during late-stage pneumonia such as COVID19. These data also provide a preclinical model to test other immunosuppressive agents and optimize timing and dosing of such agents.