Adoptive transfer of infectious bronchitis virus primed αβ T cells bearing CD8 antigen protects chicks from acute infection

Abstract

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) infection and associated illness may be dramatically modified by passive transfer of immune T lymphocytes. Lymphocytes collected 10 days postinfection were transferred to naive chicks before challenge with virus. As determined by respiratory illness and viral load transfer of syngeneic immune T lymphocytes protected chicks from challenge infection, whereas no protection was observed in the chicks receiving the MHC compatible lymphocytes from uninfected chicks. Protection following administration of T lymphocytes could be observed in chicks with three distinct MHC haplotypes: B8/B8, B12/B12, and B19/B19. Nearly complete elimination of viral infection and illness was observed in chicks receiving cells enriched in αβ lymphocytes. In contrast, removal of γδ T lymphocytes had only a small effect on their potential to protect chicks. The adoptive transfer of enriched CD8+ or CD4+ T lymphocytes indicated that protection was also a function primarily of CD8-bearing cells. These results indicated that αβ T lymphocytes bearing CD8+ antigens are critical in protecting chicks from IBM infection. (C) 2000 Academic Press.