title: Factors controlling levels of CD8+ T-cell lymphocytosis associated with murine gamma-herpesvirus infection.
abstract: Intranasal infection of mice with murine gamma-herpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) elicits a striking CD8+ T-cell lymphocytosis following the establishment of latency, which includes a marked increased frequency of Vbeta4+ CD8+ T cells. The Vbeta4+ CD8+ T cells do not recognize a conventional viral peptide, but are stimulated by an uncharacterized ligand expressed on latently infected, activated B cells. The selective expansion of Vbeta4+ CD8+ T cells after MHV-68 infection is observed in all mouse strains examined, although the fold-increase varies widely, ranging from less than twofold to greater than 10-fold. The factors controlling the variation are currently undefined. In the current study, CD8+ T cell activation and Vbeta4+ CD8+ T-cell frequencies were analyzed in 18 inbred strains of mice. The data show that the magnitude of the Vbeta4+ CD8+ T-cell response correlates with the degree of CD8+ T cell-activation, and that both major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and non-MHC genes contribute to the magnitude of the activation. Furthermore, the magnitude of the response does not reflect major differences in susceptibility to viral infection and/or corresponding differences in the acute response. Rather the degree of Vbeta4+ CD8+ T cell activation may be determined by differences in levels of expression of the stimulatory ligand at the peak of latency.
authors.affiliation: The Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY 12983, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flaño
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Cardin
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Woodland
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Blackman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology; D018144:Rhadinovirus; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta