Reddehase MJ, Mutter W, Münch K, Bühring HJ, Koszinowski UH. CD8-positive T lymphocytes specific for murine cytomegalovirus immediate-early antigens mediate protective immunity.
J Virol 1987;
61:3102-8. [PMID:
3041033 PMCID:
PMC255886 DOI:
10.1128/jvi.61.10.3102-3108.1987]
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Abstract
We have shown in a murine model system for acute, lethal cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in the immunocompromised natural host that control of virus multiplication in tissues, protection from virus-caused tissue destruction, and survival are mediated by virus-specific CD8+ CD4-T lymphocytes. Protection from a lethal course of disease did not result in a rapid establishment of virus latency, but led to a long-lasting, persistent state of infection. The CD8- CD4+ subset of T lymphocytes was not effective by itself in controlling murine CMV (MCMV) multiplication in tissue or essential for the protective function of the CD8+ CD4- effector cells. The antiviral efficacy of the purified CD8+ CD4- subset was not impaired by preincubation with fibroblasts that presented viral structural antigens, but was significantly reduced after depletion of effector cells specific for the nonstructural immediate-early antigens of MCMV, which are specified by the first among a multitude of viral genes expressed during MCMV replication in permissive cells. Thus, MCMV disease provides the first example of a role for nonstructural herpesvirus immediate-early antigens in protective immunity.
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