High-magnitude, virus-specific CD4 T-cell response in the central nervous system of coronavirus-infected mice.
The neurotropic JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) causes acute encephalitis and chronic demyelinating encephalomyelitis in rodents. Previous results indicated that CD8 T cells infiltrating the central nervous system (CNS) were largely antigen specific in both diseases. Herein we show that by 7 days postinoculation, nearly 30% of the CD4 T cells in the acutely infected CNS were MHV specific by using intracellular gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) staining assays. In mice with chronic demyelination, 10 to 15% of the CD4 T cells secreted IFN-gamma in response to MHV-specific peptides. Thus, these results show that infection of the CNS is characterized by a large influx of CD4 T cells specific for MHV and that these cells remain functional, as measured by cytokine secretion, in mice with chronic demyelination.
Haring
J S
JS
Department of Microbiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
Pewe
L L
LL
Perlman
S
S
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D020805:Central Nervous System Viral Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000378:metabolism
D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta