Leishmania is resident within the macrophages of its vertebrate host. In any intramacrophage infection, where the pathogen is present in a form capable of mediating cell to cell transmission, the contribution of a cytotoxic T cell response to protective immunity is questionable. This study presents data from an in vitro model designed to elucidate the outcome of an interaction between CD8+, cytotoxic T cells and infected macrophages. Experiments were conducted with an H-2d-restricted, cytotoxic CD8+ T cell clone and Leishmania parasites present in mixed macrophage cultures, with the parasites confined to either histocompatible BALB/c macrophages, or incompatible CBA macrophages. Initial experiments indicated that the viability of Leishmania was unaffected by the lysis of its host macrophage by cytotoxic T cells. However, extended experiments showed that the parasites were killed between 24 and 72 h. The same results were obtained regardless of whether the parasites were resident in the target, BALB/c, macrophages or the bystander, CBA, macrophages. Addition of neutralizing, anti-IFN-g antibody to the cultures ablated most of the leishmanicidal behavior, indicating that parasite death was attributable to macrophage activation, resulting from cytokine secretion from the T cells following the initial recognition event.
Article|
September 01 1991
The interaction between CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and Leishmania-infected macrophages.
L E Smith,
L E Smith
Department of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
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M Rodrigues,
M Rodrigues
Department of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
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D G Russell
D G Russell
Department of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
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L E Smith
Department of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
M Rodrigues
Department of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
D G Russell
Department of Pathology, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
Online ISSN: 1540-9538
Print ISSN: 0022-1007
J Exp Med (1991) 174 (3): 499–505.
Citation
L E Smith, M Rodrigues, D G Russell; The interaction between CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and Leishmania-infected macrophages.. J Exp Med 1 September 1991; 174 (3): 499–505. doi: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.174.3.499
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