Suppression of antigen-specific T cell proliferation by measles virus infection: role of a soluble factor in suppression.
Measles virus infection causes a profound immunosuppression. The basis for this immunosuppression is not known. This immunosuppression could be due to virus acting directly on lymphoid cells, the production of an immunosuppressive viral product, or a lymphoid product. We have developed an antigen-specific T cell system to study measles virus-T-cell interactions. We demonstrate that as few as five infectious viral particles added to 1000 T cells results in profound inhibition of antigen-specific T cell proliferation. Supernates taken from measles virus-infected T cells suppress the proliferation of uninfected T cells. Measles-virus-infected HeLa or Vero cells do not produce the factor. The antiproliferative effects of the supernates cannot be attributed to infectious virus, IL-10 or TGF-beta. The soluble factor appears to be larger than 100 kDa, yet retains antiproliferative activity following trypsin digestion with a size less than 10 kDa. Loss of activity is seen following heat treatment at 56 degrees C. The factor is lymphoid cell specific and exhibits cytokine-like behavior yet appears not to be a known cytokine. This soluble factor may be responsible for the overt clinical immunosuppression seen in man and a previously undescribed cytokine induced by measles virus infection of human lymphocytes.
Sun
X
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Department of Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132, USA.
Burns
J B
JB
Howell
J M
JM
Fujinami
R S
RS
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016207:Cytokines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D014357:Trypsin; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology; D014709:Vero Cells
D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D014373:Tuberculin; D014357:Trypsin