CD4(-CELL-DEPENDENT AND T-CELL-INDEPENDENT HOST-DEFENSE MECHANISMS CAN OPERATE TO CONTROL AND RESOLVE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FRANCISELLA-TULARENSIS LVS INFECTION IN MICE() AND CD8(+) T)
Jw. Conlan et al., CD4(-CELL-DEPENDENT AND T-CELL-INDEPENDENT HOST-DEFENSE MECHANISMS CAN OPERATE TO CONTROL AND RESOLVE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FRANCISELLA-TULARENSIS LVS INFECTION IN MICE() AND CD8(+) T), Infection and immunity, 62(12), 1994, pp. 5603-5607
Immunity to experimental infection with the facultative intracellular
bacterium Francisella tularensis is generally considered an example of
T-cell-mediated, macrophage-expressed immunity. However, the results
of the present study indicate that T-cell-independent mechanisms are a
lso important in anti-Francisella defense. They show that mice selecti
vely depleted of CD4(+), CD8(+), or both T-cell populations by treatme
nt with T-cell subset-specific monoclonal antibodies remained capable
of controlling and partly resolving a primary sublethal Francisella in
fection. Similarly, it was found that Francisella-immune mice depleted
of either or both subsets of T cells retain a high degree of acquired
immunity to reinfection. Together, these findings imply that resistan
ce to primacy and secondary tularemia can be mediated by cells other t
han CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells.