title: Pure CD4+ T lymphocytes fail to protect perorally infected SCID mice from lethal microsporidiosis caused by Encephalitozoon cuniculi.
abstract: The role of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the protection against intraperitoneally (i.p.) or perorally (p.o.) acquired Encephalitozoon cuniculi (Levaditi et al., C R Soc Biol Paris 89:984-986, 1923) infection was studied by means of reconstitution of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice with well-defined populations of naive CD8+ or CD4+ T lymphocytes. Adoptive transfer of pure CD8+ T lymphocyte subpopulation protects SCID mice against a lethal microsporidiosis caused by E. cuniculi. The protective effect of CD8+ T lymphocytes is manifested in both i.p. and p.o. infection. On the contrary, the host defense against peroral infection does not require CD8+ T cells. The protective role is not mediated by CD4+ T lymphocytes only. SCID mice reconstitution with pure CD4+ T cell subpopulation led to prolonged survival of perorally infected mice. However, these mice died due to lethal encephalitozoonosis caused by i.p. infection.
authors.affiliation: Biological Center, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 37005 Ceské Budejovice, Czech Republic. george@paru.cas.cz
authors.forename: Jirí
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salát
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horká
authors.forename: Bohumil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sak
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopecký
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D009670:Encephalitozoon cuniculi / Q000276:immunology*; D016890:Encephalitozoonosis / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009055:Mouth; D016511:Severe Combined Immunodeficiency / Q000276:immunology*