Effects of influenza virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses induced by a synthetic nucleoprotein peptide on the survival of mice challenged with a lethal dose of virus.
Even though virus-induced cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) recognize antigens as peptides presented on infected cells, short synthetic peptides without any modifications are generally considered unsuitable for inducing antigen-specific CTLs in vivo. Our results demonstrate rapid induction of influenza virus-specific CTLs in Balb/c mice by an unmodified core protein peptide known to be a dominant H-2d-restricted CTL epitope. Additionally, the immunization procedure we employed in these studies produced significant influenza virus-specific CTLs in lymph nodes, spleen and lungs. When challenged with a lethal dose of influenza virus, a statistically significant delay in the day of death was observed in peptide-immunized mice. However, viral clearance was only slightly different from that in control mice. While these results are encouraging, they suggest a requirement for multiple CTL-inducing peptides, helper T cell-inducing peptides and/or virus-specific IgA responses in order to achieve protection from influenza infection.
Sastry
K J
KJ
Department of Molecular Pathology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
Bender
B S
BS
Bell
W
W
Small
P A
PA
Arlinghaus
R B
RB
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line / Q000276:immunology; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000401:mortality; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*
D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D014758:Viral Core Proteins