Neonatal infection with mouse thymic virus. Differential effects on T cells mediating the graft-versus-host reaction.
Neonatal infection with mouse thymic virus (TA), a murine herpes virus, produced extensive but temporary necrosis of the thymus which was maximal at 10 to 14 days of age. Studies of precursor and amplifier cells mediating graft-vs-host (GVH) reactivity of thymocytes, spleen cells (SC), and lymph node cells (LNC) of normal and TA-infected mice were made at 4 and 8 weeks of age. Infection with TA resulting in a profound reduction (70 to 80%) in the direct GVH reactivity of thymocytes at both ages; by comparison, the capacity of thymocytes to produce synergy when combined with normal LNC was normal at 8 weeks. Direct GVH reactivity of SC was depressed 90% 4 weeks after infection with TA but returned to near normal at 8 weeks. Direct GVH reactivity of LNC from TA-infected mice was normal at 4 and 8 weeks of age, but amplifier T cell activity in LNC was markedly depressed at 8 wekks. These results demonstrate that TA has highly selective effects upon subpopulations of T cells in thymus and lymph node.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D006087:Graft vs Host Reaction; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology