T lymphocyte immunity to reovirus: cellular requirements for generation and role in clearance of primary infections

The cellular requirements for the development of an immune response to reovirus type 1 and the role of such a response in the clearance of a primary infection with that virus were explored. An Ia-bearing antigen-presenting cell requirement is demonstrated for the in vitro generation of secondary anti-reovirus cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). It is then shown that mice whose spleens are depleted of Ia-bearing adherent cells by exposure in vivo to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exhibit depressed priming for reovirus-specific T lymphocyte function-CTL generation, delayed-type hypersensitivity reactivity, and T cell proliferative responsiveness. These UV-irradiated mice clear primary systemic reovirus infections as readily as normal mice. Further, athymic 'nude' mice show no defect in their ability to clear a reovirus infection. The implications of these findings for our understanding of the role of virus-specific T cell function in the clearance of systemic viral infections are discussed.