Th0-like CD4+ T cells protect mice with murine retrovirus-induced immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS) against co-infection with Listeria monocytogenes.
We examined the host defence mechanism against infection with Listeria monocytogenes, a facultative intracellular bacterium, in mice with murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS) caused by LP-BM5 murine leukaemia virus (MuLv) infection. Although LP-BM5 MuLV infection in C57BL/6 mice leads to a stage of immunodeficiency characterized by severe compromise of cell-mediated immunity, the mice with established MAIDS infected with LP-BM5 8 weeks previously, showed resistance to an intraperitoneal infection with Listeria monocytogenes. These MAIDS mice also showed resistance to a lethal dose of secondary listerial challenge, while the delayed-type hypersensitivity response to heat-killed Listeria (HKL.) was severely impaired in MAIDS mice. The resistance of MAIDS mice to listerial infection was mediated by CD4+ alpha beta T cells but neither by gamma delta T cells nor natural killer (NK) cells. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were produced by CD4+ T cells from Listeria-infected MAIDS mice in response to the in vitro stimulation with HKL, whereas IFN-gamma but not IL-10 were produced by those from Listeria-infected control mice. These results suggest that T-helper 0 (Th0)-like immune responses of CD4+ T cells occur and participate in host defence mechanisms against listerial infection in MAIDS mice.
Hiromatsu
K
K
Laboratory of Host Defence, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
Nishimura
H
H
Kimura
K
K
Aoki
Y
Y
Usami
J
J
Kobayashi
N
N
Makino
M
M
Yoshikai
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016183:Murine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*
D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma