title: High efficiency of antiviral CD4(+) killer T cells.
abstract: The destruction of infected cells by cytotxic T lymphocytes (CTL) is integral to the effective control of viral and bacterial diseases, and CTL function at large has long been regarded as a distinctive property of the CD8(+)T cell subset. In contrast, and despite their first description more than three decades ago, the precise contribution of cytotoxic CD4(+)T cells to the resolution of infectious diseases has remained a matter of debate. In particular, the CTL activity of pathogen-specific CD4(+) "helper" T cells constitutes a single trait among a diverse array of other T cell functionalities, and overall appears considerably weaker than the cytolytic capacity of CD8(+) effector T cells. Here, using an in vivo CTL assay, we report that cytotoxic CD4(+)T cells are readily generated against both viral and bacterial pathogens, and that the efficiency of MHC-II-restricted CD4(+)T cell killing adjusted for effector:target cell ratios, precise specificities and functional avidities is comparable in magnitude to that of CD8(+)T cells. In fact, the only difference between specific CD4(+) and CD8(+)T cells pertains to the slightly delayed killing kinetics of the former demonstrating that potent CTL function is a cardinal property of both antiviral CD8(+) and CD4(+)T cells.
authors.affiliation: University Clinic for Cardiology and Angiology I, University Heart Center, Freiburg-Bad Krozingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Steven K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hildemann
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eberlein
authors.forename: Bennett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Davenport
authors.forename: Tom T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Victorino
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Homann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014780:Viruses / Q000276:immunology
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