Protective role of cytotoxic lymphocytes against murine leukemia virus-induced neurologic disease and immunodeficiency is enhanced by the presence of helper T cells.
We examined the role of T cells and their separated subsets in providing immunity against ts1 (a mutant of the Moloney murine leukemia virus) induced paralysis and immunodeficiency. Adoptive transfer of syngeneic total T cells from immunized mice protected newborn mice, at least partially, from ts1-induced disease syndrome. In infected mice who received total immune T cells, virus replication was reduced and the mice survived longer. When only separated immune CD8+ T cells were transferred to infected mice, similar protection, albeit to a lesser extent, was observed. Transfer of separated immune CD4+ T cells alone gave no protection. However, when recombined CD4+ and CD8+ cells were transferred together, an immune response similar to that when total T cells were transferred was observed. Cytotoxic assays from ts1-immunized mice revealed the presence of virus-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes that could lyse virus-expressing cells at a high effector/target ratio. We conclude that CD8+ T cells alone can provide immunity against ts1-induced paralysis and immunodeficiency and that the simultaneous presence of CD4+ T cells can also significantly enhance the immune response.
University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park-Research Division, Smithville 78957.
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D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus / Q000276:immunology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D014779:Virus Replication
D016827:CD8 Antigens