title: Macrophage antigen-1 positive cells are essential in the defense against Theiler's virus strain GD VII infection in the spinal cord.
abstract: Acute encephalomyelitis caused by Theiler's virus strain GD VII resembles human poliomyelitis, and T cells are essential in eliminating the virus from the brain, though not from the spinal cord. We speculated that macrophage-lineage cells might play a crucial role in eliminating the virus from the spinal cord. To analyse the role of macrophage-lineage cells in the infection, antibodies specific for beta2 integrin, as well as an anti-leukocyte function antigen 1 (LFA-1) monoclonal antibody (MAb) and an anti-complement receptor type 3 (CR3) MAb were used to deplete the corresponding cell populations in Theiler's virus-infected mice. Infiltration of CD8+ T cells into the brain and spinal cord was inhibited by the administration of the anti-LFA-1 MAb, and viral replication was augmented only in the brain. The number of CD4+ T cells and macrophage antigen-1 (Mac-1[+]) cells in the brain and spinal cord were not decreased by anti-LFA-1 MAb treatment. Anti-CR3 MAb treatment led to decrease of Mac-1(+) cells in the brain and spinal cord. The viral replication in the spinal cord of anti-CR3 MAb treated mice was augmented, but not that in the brain. These results indicate that the defense mechanism against Theiler's virus strain GD VII is dependent on Mac-1(+) cells in the spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohanawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minagawa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakane
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D017945:Theilovirus
chemical_list: D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen