T lymphocytes in genital lymph nodes protect mice from intravaginal infection with herpes simplex virus type 2.
Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is a human venereal pathogen that causes lethal neurological illness after intravaginal inoculation into BALB/cJ mice. Intravaginal vaccination of mice with an attenuated strain of HSV-2 rapidly induces immunity to a lethal intravaginal challenge with wild-type HSV-2. This resistance is transferrable to syngeneic mice with genital lymph node (GLN) cells but not with cells from other lymphoid sources. Here we demonstrate that minimal numbers of HSV-2-stimulated GLN T lymphocytes are required for resistance to genital infection by HSV-2 and that such cells migrate preferentially into HSV-2-infected genital tissue. Furthermore, the results suggest that HSV-2-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes from the GLN may be one effector cell population participating locally in genital immunity to the virus. These findings indicate that mucosal immunity to genital HSV-2 infection requires the antigen stimulation of migratory T cells in the GLN.
McDermott
M R
MR
Department of Pathology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Goldsmith
C H
CH
Rosenthal
K L
KL
Brais
L J
LJ
D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology