PROTECTION AGAINST INFLUENZA-VIRUS ENCEPHALITIS BY ADOPTIVE LYMPHOCYTE TRANSFER

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) have an established role in anti-vi ral immunity, but whether CTL function efficiently in the brain remain s unclear. In particular, virus-infected neurons, which express only l ow levels of MHC class I antigens and are resistant to the induction o f apoptosis, could constitute a relatively intractable CTL target. we have used immune lymphocytes adoptively transferred into the CSF to pr otect naive mice against an intracerebral infection with influenza A/W SN, a virus that infects neurons in the brain parenchyma and causes a lethal encephalitis. After in vitro restimulation, heterotypically imm une spleen cells protected against A/WSN encephalitis in an H-2-restri cted, CD8-dependent, CD4-independent manner. Adoptively transferred CT L clones were also protective. Homotypically immune spleen cells addit ionally mediated CD8-independent, H-P-unrestricted protection, probabl y due to the generation of A/WSN-specific plasma cells from memory B c ells during in vitro restimulation. Thus after in vitro restimulation, either CTL or B cells adoptively transferred into the CSF protected a gainst an acutely lethal intracerebral virus infection. (C) 1997 Acade mic Press.