ObjectiveToinvestigateTcellactivationfollowingfacialnerveaxotomizationandlatentneuroimmunologicmechanismsintraumaticfacialparalysis.MethodsAmurinemodeloffacialnervetransactionwasused.LymphocytesfromcervicalandmesentericlymphnodesinBABL/cmiceatspecifictimeswerecollectedandexpressionratesofCD69onTcellswereassessedbyflowcytometry.ResultsInfiltratingTcellsweredetectedaroundthefacialneuronsinthefacialnervenucleusinmicewhosefacialnervewastransected.ImmunofluorescentstainingshowedrecruitmentofactivatedTcells.Threedayspost-facialnervetransection,theexpressionrateofCD69onTcellsfromcervicaldraininglymphoidnodes(CDLNs)wassignificantlydifferentfromthatonTcellsfrommesentericlymphnodes(MLNs)(P=0.0457),whereasthelatterwassimilartothatinanimalsundergoingshamsurgeriesandthatinblankcontrolanimals(p=0.2817and0.2724,respectively).Twoweekspost-nervetransection,theTcellCD69expressionratefromCDLNsremainedatahigherlevelandthanthatinthesham-operationanimals(p=0.0007).Attwoweeks,CD69expressionrateonTcellsfromMLNswasalsoup-regulatedanddifferentcomparedwiththesham-operationanimalsandwithitselfatthreedayspost-operation(p=0.0082and0.0133,respectively).ConclusionTcellsappeartobeactivatedandup-regulatedinCDLNsfollowingfacialnervetransection.ThereisevenevidenceofTcellactivationinMLNsat2weekspost-nervetransection.Thissuggestesanalterationofimmuneresponsefromlocaltogeneralimmunityintheacutestageoffacialnervetrauma,whichmayhelpcoordinatingandcontrollingthescalesandorientationoftheneuroimmuneresponseduringthepathogenesisandprogressionoffacialnervetrauma.
