Induction of Junin virus persistence in adult athymic mice.
To determine the role of T lymphocytes in adult mice infected with Junin virus, 60-day-old athymic (nu/nu) mice and their immunocompetent (nu/+) littermates were inoculated intracerebrally with 10(3) TCD50 of the XJ strain. None of them exhibited neurologic illness during a 6-month observation period, and mortality was 3% for nu/nu and 7% for nu/+ animals. The main features in infected nu/nu mice were: high viral titers in brain, reaching a late peak (6.5 log/ml) 32 days postinoculation and persisting at least 6 months; low, late viremia appearing simultaneously with the viral peak in the central nervous system (CNS) and persisting up to 3 months after infection; absence of signs of neurologic disease or histologic lesions in brain and almost no mortality; and lack of detectable circulating antibodies either in IgM or in other immunoglobulins (Igs). Circulating anti-Junin antibodies were demonstrated in IgM and other Igs in immunocompetent mice, although no infectious virus or histologic lesions could be detected. These results show an important role for T lymphocytes in the clearance of Junin virus in the CNS, as demonstrated by viral persistence induced in adult athymic mice.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001116:Arenaviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D006477:Arenaviruses, New World / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001921:Brain / Q000382:microbiology; D006478:Hemorrhagic Fever, American / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D007121:Immunocompetence; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014766:Viremia / Q000382:microbiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M