Abstract
The immunological resistance of a host to viral infections may be strongly influenced by cytokines such as interleukin-12 (IL-12) and gamma interferon (IFN-γ), which promote T helper type 1 responses, and IL-4, which promotes T helper type 2 responses. We studied the role of these cytokines during primary and secondary immune responses against Friend retrovirus infections in mice. IL-4- and IL-12-deficient mice were comparable to wild-type B6 mice in the ability to control acute and persistent Friend virus infections. In contrast, more than one-third of the IFN-γ-deficient mice were unable to maintain long-term control of Friend virus and developed gross splenomegaly with high virus loads. Immunization with a live attenuated vaccine virus prior to challenge protected all three types of cytokine-deficient mice from viremia and high levels of spleen virus despite the finding that the vaccinated IFN-γ-deficient mice were unable to class switch from immunoglobulin M (IgM) to IgG virus-neutralizing antibodies. The results indicate that IFN-γ plays an important role during primary immune responses against Friend virus but is dispensable during vaccine-primed secondary responses.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 654-660 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of virology |
Volume | 75 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2001 |