Ex vivo analysis of cytotoxic T lymphocytes to measles antigens during infection and after vaccination in Gambian children.
The study of cytotoxic T cell responses to measles antigens during infection and after vaccination may provide insight into the immunopathology of the infection. It will also provide a knowledge of the immunity conferred by wild or attenuated virus, which will help in the design of new vaccines. Direct cytotoxic T cell responses, which did not require in vitro restimulation, were measured from peripheral blood by a standard 51Cr-release assay in 35 patients with acute measles, using HLA class I matched allogeneic B cells as targets. 77% showed specific responses to measles fusion protein, 69% to the hemagglutinin, and 50% to the nucleoprotein. These responses, which were related to severity of disease and history of previous vaccination, had waned by 14-24 wk after measles when memory responses to the same antigens could be elicited by restimulation in 71% of the 13 patients tested. A similar pattern followed vaccination: direct cytotoxic responses to fusion and hemagglutinin proteins were shown in 70% of the 20 children tested while 50% responded to the nucleoprotein. These responses, which were mediated by both CD8(+) and CD4(+) cells, faded over 6 wk when memory responses could be restimulated. Thus, a vigorous cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to fusion, hemagglutinin, and nucleoproteins is important in both natural and vaccine-induced immunity to measles.
Jaye
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Medical Research Council Laboratories, Banjul, The Gambia. ajave@mrc.enda.sn
Magnusen
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Sadiq
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Corrah
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Whittle
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HC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007223:Infant; D008457:Measles / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000276:immunology*; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C032397:hemagglutinin protein G, measles virus; C058314:nucleoprotein, Measles virus