PMID: 7537304May 15, 1995Paper

Alpha 4 integrin directs virus-activated CD8+ T cells to sites of infection

The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists
J P ChristensenAllan R Thomsen

Abstract

This article examines the role of VLA-4 in directing lymphocytes to sites of viral infection using the murine lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection (LCMV) as the model system. This virus by itself induces little or no inflammation, but in most mouse/virus strain combinations a potent T cell response is induced, which is associated with marked CD8+ cell-mediated inflammation. Two expressions of LCMV-induced inflammation were studied: meningitis induced by intracerebral infection and adoptive transfer of virus-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity. Our previous studies have shown that LCMV infection results in the appearance of activated CD8+ cells with an increased expression of VLA-4. In this study we have compared various T cell high and low responder situations, and these experiments revealed that acute inflammation correlates directly with VLA-4 expression on splenic CD8+ cells. This correlation could be extended to CD4+ and B cells in chronically infected low responder DBA/2 mice. The vascular ligand for VLA-4, VCAM-1, was found to be up-regulated on endothelial cells in sites of inflammation. Finally, preincubation of virus-primed donor cells with mAb to VLA-4 completely blocked the ability to transfer virus-specif...Continue Reading

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