Impaired resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection after selective in vivo depletion of L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T cells.

Journal article

The resistance of mice against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection after selective in vivo depletion of L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T cells was studied. Thymectomized mice were treated with rat monoclonal antibodies against the L3T4 or Lyt-2 molecule to selectively eliminate the respective T-cell subset. In both L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T-cell-depleted mice, resistance against subsequent infection with M. tuberculosis was markedly impaired compared with that in untreated controls, with L3T4+ T-cell-depleted mice showing more pronounced effects. Simultaneous depletion of L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T cells did not further exacerbate infection. These findings suggest that both L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T cells are involved in the acquisition of resistance against tuberculosis.

Authors: Müller, I; Cobbold, S; Waldmann, H; Kaufmann, S

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Infection and immunity
• Volume: 55
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 2037-2041
• Publication date: 1987-09-01
• EISSN: 1098-5522
• ISSN: 0019-9567
• Language: English
• Keywords: T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic; Immunity, Cellular; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antigens, Ly; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; Male; T-Lymphocytes; Mice; Antigens, Surface; Mice, Inbred Strains; Animals; Thymectomy; Tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis