Impaired resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection after selective in vivo depletion of L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T cells.
The resistance of mice against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection after selective in vivo depletion of L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T cells was studied. Thymectomized mice were treated with rat monoclonal antibodies against the L3T4 or Lyt-2 molecule to selectively eliminate the respective T-cell subset. In both L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T-cell-depleted mice, resistance against subsequent infection with M. tuberculosis was markedly impaired compared with that in untreated controls, with L3T4+ T-cell-depleted mice showing more pronounced effects. Simultaneous depletion of L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T cells did not further exacerbate infection. These findings suggest that both L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T cells are involved in the acquisition of resistance against tuberculosis.
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000950:Antigens, Ly / Q000276:immunology; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D013934:Thymectomy; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000950:Antigens, Ly; D000954:Antigens, Surface