Abstract
Vaccination of guinea pigs with Mycobacterium bovis BCG confers partial resistance against infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Induction of immunity is associated with a strong T cell response. The reactions of the cytotoxic and helper T lymphocyte subsets after BCG vaccination were analyzed by cytofluorometry and in functional tests. The relative number of CD8+ T cells in the spleen increased substantially after injection of BCG. In vitro restimulation after immunization induced a strong proliferative response but no cytotoxic reactions of CD8+ T cells against BCG-infected macrophages. A specific induction of IFN-γ and RANTES mRNA was observed after vaccination particularly in CD8+ but not in CD4+ T cells of the lymph nodes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1968-1977 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Vaccine |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 15-16 |
| Early online date | 22 Feb 2001 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 28 Feb 2001 |
Keywords
- Guinea pig
- Mycobacteria
- T lymphocytes