Cellular events in the lymph node and lung of mice with influenza. Consequences of depleting CD4+ T cells.
The cellularity of the mediastinal lymph nodes of mice infected intranasally with a high dose of an H3N2 influenza A virus increases massively within 5 days. All classes of lymphocytes are involved. A similar, but much smaller, expansion in cell numbers occurs after exposure to a comparable dilution of normal chick allantoic fluid. In the control group, this increase in lymph node size is totally prevented by the in vivo depletion of CD4+ T cells whereas there is only a 50% reduction in the virus-infected mice. The lymphocyte component of the cellular exudate in the lungs of infected mice is dominated by activated, CD8+ T cells, which are also prevalent in the mediastinal lymph nodes. Elimination of the CD4+ subset does not greatly diminish the severity of this inflammatory process. The CD4-depleted mice clear the virus from the lung, and there is little effect on the frequency of virus-specific, cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors in either the lymph node or the lung. Substantial involvement of CD4+ T cells is not essential for the development of effective cell-mediated immunity in mice with influenza.
Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105.
W
W
Allan
Z
Z
Tabi
A
A
Cleary
P C
PC
Doherty
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D009980:Influenza A virus; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D013997:Time Factors
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens