T cell depletion increases susceptibility to murine cytomegalovirus retinitis

• Published in: Investigative ophthalmology & visual science Vol. 33; no. 12; pp. 3353 - 3360
• Main Authors: Atherton, SS, Newell, CK, Kanter, MY, Cousins, SW
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rockville, MD ARVO 01-11-1992; Association for Research in Vision and Ophtalmology
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; CD4 Antigens - analysis; CD8 Antigens - analysis; Ciliary Body; Cytomegalovirus Infections - immunology; Disease Susceptibility; Experimental viral diseases and models; Immunosuppression; Infectious diseases; Injections; Lymphocyte Depletion; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Retinitis - microbiology; T-Lymphocytes - cytology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Viral diseases; Immunopathology; Cytomegalovirus; Retinopathy; Pathogenesis; Herpesviridae; Rodentia; Cellular immunity; Betaherpesvirinae; Infection; Virus; Immunosuppression; Eye disease; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Mouse; Viral disease; Animal; T-Lymphocyte; Retinitis
• ISSN: 0146-0404; 1552-5783

To study the effect of immunosuppression on the development of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) retinitis, BALB/c mice were immunosuppressed with methylprednisolone (a corticosteroid) and/or with antibodies against CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and inoculated with low-dose MCMV (5 x 10(2) plaque-forming units) by the supraciliary route. Nonimmunosuppressed mice inoculated with low-dose MCMV by the supraciliary route did not develop necrotizing retinitis. By contrast, 78-100% of immunosuppressed mice developed retinitis after inoculation of low-dose MCMV. To study the effect of depletion of individual T cell subsets, mice were depleted of either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells and inoculated with low-dose MCMV by the supraciliary route. The frequency of retinitis in CD4-depleted mice (30%) was not significantly different from that of nonimmunosuppressed control mice (0%). The frequency of retinitis in the CD8-depleted group (80%) was similar to that observed in mice immunosuppressed with corticosteroid alone (90.9%), with antibodies to both T cell subsets (100%), or with steroid and both T cell subset antibodies (100%). These results support the conclusion that the CD8+ T cell subset is responsible for control of ocular MCMV infection. Furthermore, these results suggest that the CD8+ T cell subset may be important in preventing ocular CMV infection in immunosuppressed patients.