Virology. 2003 Aug 1;312(2):407-14
Glass WG, Lane TE.
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California,
92697-3900, Irvine, CA, USA
Intracranial infection of C57BL/6 mice with mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) results in an acute encephalomyelitis followed by a demyelinating disease similar in pathology to the human disease multiple sclerosis (MS).
T cells participate in both defense and disease progression following MHV infection.
Expression of chemokine receptors on activated T cells is important in allowing these cells to traffic into and accumulate within the central nervous system (CNS) of MHV-infected mice.
The present study evaluated the contributions of CCR5 to the activation and trafficking of virus-specific CD8(+) T cells into the MHV-infected CNS mice.
Comparable numbers of virus-specific CD8(+) T cells derived from immunized CCR5(+/+) or CCR5(-/-) mice were present within the CNS of MHV-infected RAG1(-/-) mice following adoptive transfer, indicating that CCR5 is not required for trafficking of these cells into the CNS.
RAG1(-/-) recipients of CCR5(-/-)-derived CD8(+) T cells exhibited a modest, yet significant (P </= 0.05), reduction in viral burden within the brain which correlated with increased CTL activity and IFN-gamma expression.
Histological analysis of RAG1(-/-) recipients of either CCR5(+/+)or CCR5(-/-)-derived CD8(+) T cells revealed only focal areas of demyelination with no significant differences in white matter destruction.
These data indicate that CCR5 signaling on CD8(+) T cells modulates antiviral activities but is not essential for entry into the CNS.