title: Cytotoxic T cells in the peritoneal cavity of mice infected with ectromelia virus.
abstract: Peritoneal exudate cells from mice infected with ectromelia virus were cytotoxic for virus-infected target cells as measured in a 51Cr release assay. Cytotoxic activity seemed to be T cell-dependent as it was largely abolished by treatment with anti-theta serum and complement but was not impaired by macrophage depletion. The kinetics of development of cytotoxicity in the peritoneal cavity lagged behind spleen cytotoxicity by 1-2 days. Peak activity in peritoneal cells was present about 6 days after intravenous infection with virus. These studies suggest that macrophages present in the free peritoneal cell populations of ectromelia-infected mice are not cytotoxic for virus-infected target cells. The effect of macrophages in virus clearance is therefore likely to be due to phagocytic rather than cytotoxic effects.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D004481:Ectromelia virus; D004482:Ectromelia, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D007700:Kinetics; D007739:L Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D011213:Poxviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*