Clonal deletion of some V beta+ T cells in peripheral lymphocytes from C57BL/6 mice infected with MHV3.
Mouse hepatitis virus type 3 infection is generally accompanied by a severe immune dysfunction involving thymic or splenic T cell subpopulations. We postulate that the peripheral lymphoid cell depletions were caused by a selective deletion of some V beta subsets of mature T cells, as observed with superantigens. We have examined the expression of V beta 6, V beta 8 and V beta 14 in T cell subpopulations from the spleen and lymph nodes of pathogenic L2-MHV3-infected C57BL/6 mice. Cytofluorometric study showed decreases in splenic V beta 8+, V beta 6+, and V beta 14+ T cell subpopulations at 72 hrs post-infection. Single positive CD4+ T cells were diminushed but not the CD8+ cells. In contrast, the various V beta splenic cell populations were not modified in mice infected with a non- pathogenic YAC-MHV3 variant. However, the V beta 8/CD4 ratio increased in splenic cells but decreased in lymphocytes from lymph nodes. The V beta 14/CD4 ratio decreased only in splenic cells while V beta 6/CD4 ratios were not modified. These results suggest that alterations in V beta cell populations may play a role in the L2-MHV3-induced immunodeficiency.
Centre de Recherche en Virologie, Institut Armand-Frappier, Laval, Québec, Canada.
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S
Gagne
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Thibodeau
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Lamontagne
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology
D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; C075784:T cell receptor Vbeta8