Antibodies and CD8+ T cells are complementary and essential for natural resistance to a highly lethal cytopathic virus.
It is believed that CD8+ T lymphocytes or Abs can independently clear many primary viral infections, including those caused by Orthopoxviruses (OPV), a genus that includes the human pathogens variola and monkeypox and the vaccine species vaccinia virus. However, most experiments addressing the role of Abs and CD8+ T cells in protection have used viruses that are not specific for the host. In the present study, we used the mouse-specific OPV ectromelia virus and mice deficient in CD40, B cells, or CD8+ T cells and adoptive transfers of CD8+ T or B lymphocytes to show that the protection afforded by CD8+ T cells is incomplete. Despite sustained CD8+ T cell responses, in the absence of Ab responses ectromelia virus persists. This results in delayed disease and inexorably leads to death. Therefore, CD8+ T lymphocytes and Abs are not redundant but complementary and essential to survive infections with a highly pathogenic viruses in the natural host.
Fang
Min
M
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Basic Sciences Division, Program on Viral Pathogenesis, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
Sigal
Luis J
LJ
D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D004481:Ectromelia virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D004482:Ectromelia, Infectious / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D014774:Virulence; D014779:Virus Replication
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019013:CD40 Antigens