Specific human cytotoxic T cells recognize B-cell lines persistently infected with respiratory syncytial virus.
The T-lymphocyte response to respiratory syncytial (RS) virus has been invoked to explain the bronchiolitis and pneumonia caused by RS virus in human infants. However, T cells also appear to play a role in protection against RS virus infection. Although RS virus-specific human lymphocytes have been demonstrated, neither the phenotype nor the function of the lymphocytes was characterized. We describe here the induction of anti-RS virus cytotoxic T lymphocytes, in both bulk culture and restimulated cell lines, from human peripheral blood. Infection of Epstein-Barr virus-transformed human B-cell lines with RS virus in vitro readily caused a persistent infection; these cells continued to synthesize RS viral proteins and secrete infectious RS virus 4 months after infection. The persistently infected cells were used both to restimulate cytotoxic-T-cell precursors and as targets for RS virus-specific cytotoxic T cells.
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006680:HLA Antigens