Svoboda | Graniru | BBC Russia | Golosameriki | Facebook

Ex vivo analysis of cytotoxic T lymphocytes to measles antigens during infection and after vaccination in Gambian children

J Clin Invest. 1998 Dec 1;102(11):1969-77. doi: 10.1172/JCI3290.

Abstract

The study of cytotoxic T cell responses to measles antigens during infection and after vaccination may provide insight into the immunopathology of the infection. It will also provide a knowledge of the immunity conferred by wild or attenuated virus, which will help in the design of new vaccines. Direct cytotoxic T cell responses, which did not require in vitro restimulation, were measured from peripheral blood by a standard 51Cr-release assay in 35 patients with acute measles, using HLA class I matched allogeneic B cells as targets. 77% showed specific responses to measles fusion protein, 69% to the hemagglutinin, and 50% to the nucleoprotein. These responses, which were related to severity of disease and history of previous vaccination, had waned by 14-24 wk after measles when memory responses to the same antigens could be elicited by restimulation in 71% of the 13 patients tested. A similar pattern followed vaccination: direct cytotoxic responses to fusion and hemagglutinin proteins were shown in 70% of the 20 children tested while 50% responded to the nucleoprotein. These responses, which were mediated by both CD8(+) and CD4(+) cells, faded over 6 wk when memory responses could be restimulated. Thus, a vigorous cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to fusion, hemagglutinin, and nucleoproteins is important in both natural and vaccine-induced immunity to measles.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antigens, Viral / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Gambia / epidemiology
  • HLA Antigens / immunology
  • Hemagglutinins, Viral / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular
  • Immunologic Memory
  • Infant
  • Measles / epidemiology
  • Measles / immunology*
  • Measles Vaccine / pharmacology*
  • Measles virus / immunology*
  • Nucleocapsid Proteins
  • Nucleoproteins / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology*
  • Vaccination*
  • Viral Fusion Proteins / immunology
  • Viral Proteins / immunology

Substances

  • Antigens, Viral
  • HLA Antigens
  • Hemagglutinins, Viral
  • Measles Vaccine
  • Nucleocapsid Proteins
  • Nucleoproteins
  • Viral Fusion Proteins
  • Viral Proteins
  • hemagglutinin protein G, measles virus
  • nucleoprotein, Measles virus