The immunosuppressive effects of measles virus on T cell function--failure to affect IL-2 release or cytotoxic T cell activity in vitro.
Measles virus (MV) is known to depress T cell function. In order to determine whether this results from alteration in the production of, or response to, interleukin-2 (IL-2) we studied the effect of in vitro infection with MV on human IL-2 dependent T cell lines. MV produced a cytopathic productive infection in these cells. Class I allospecific cytotoxic T cells retained their cytotoxic activity 48 h after infection. Both cytotoxic and Leu 3a/4a positive T cell lines continued to respond to IL-2 by proliferation up to 26 h after infection. The ability of human tonsillar lymphocytes to generate IL-2 in response to phytohaemagglutinin following MV infection was then studied. In early measles infection (up to 48 h) there was no suppression of IL-2 production: in fact measles infected cells spontaneously released low levels of IL-2 in the absence of lectin. Similarly, IL-2 release was not affected by Herpes simplex virus infection of such cultures, although lymphocytes infected with Sendai or respiratory syncytial viruses produced considerably less IL-2. These observations suggest that MV-induced immunosuppression is not a result of inhibition of differentiated T cell function, IL-2 generation or responsiveness, but may be more directly related to virus-induced cytopathic effects in activated T cells.
Borysiewicz
L K
LK
Casali
P
P
Rogers
B
B
Morris
S
S
Sissons
J G
JG
D002460:Cell Line; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D007376:Interleukin-2; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins