Expansion of gamma interferon-producing CD8+ T cells following secondary infection of mice immune to Leishmania major.
Reinfection of immune mice with Leishmania major elicits a secondary gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) response to which specific CD8+ T cells are essential. We have shown previously that specific CD8+ T cells from reinfected immune mice release substantially higher levels of IFN-gamma, a cytokine essential for the efficient activation of parasitized macrophages to kill intracellular L. major. By using an ELISPOT assay, which allows the detection of IFN-gamma production by individual cells, it is shown here that this elevated IFN-gamma response is the result of an increase of up to 50-fold in the frequency of parasite-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes in the spleens and draining lymph nodes of both immune reinfected CBA and BALB/c mice. This observation is additional evidence of the role that CD8+ T cells play in immunity to reinfection with L. major.
Müller
I
I
World Health Organization Immunology Research and Training Centre, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland.
Kropf
P
P
Louis
J A
JA
Milon
G
G
D000818:Animals; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000209:etiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000276:immunology*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000502:physiology*
D016827:CD8 Antigens; D007371:Interferon-gamma