Efficacious control of cytomegalovirus infection after long-term depletion of CD8+ T lymphocytes.
Although the relative contribution of different immune effector functions to clearing tissues of cytomegalovirus is controversial, the contribution of CD8+ T lymphocytes has generally been accepted as essential. In this report, we show that under certain conditions the CD8+ T-lymphocyte subset can be dispensable for clearance of cytomegalovirus. Mice depleted of the CD8+ T-lymphocyte subset eliminated infectious virus with a clearance kinetics similar to that of normal mice. Adoptive transfer studies revealed that the limitation of virus spread required the cooperation between the CD4+ subset and other cells. Comparison between protective functions generated in fully immunocompetent and in CD8- mice demonstrated that elimination of the CD8+ subset before infection altered the quality of the antiviral immune response. The compensatory protective activity gained by CD4+ cells in CD8- mice was absent in normal mice recovering from virus infection.
Jonjić
S
S
Department of Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Yugoslavia.
Pavić
I
I
Lucin
P
P
Rukavina
D
D
Koszinowski
U H
UH
D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D016827:CD8 Antigens