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An essential role for endogenous interferon‐ γ in the generation of protective T cells against Mycobacterium bovis BCG in mice
Author(s) -
YANG J.,
MITSUYAMA M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2567.1997.00288.x
Subject(s) - mycobacterium bovis , interferon gamma , spleen , immunization , adoptive cell transfer , biology , endogeny , monoclonal antibody , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , t cell , antibody , immune system , medicine , mycobacterium tuberculosis , tuberculosis , pathology , endocrinology
Protective CD4 + T cells against Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette–Guérin(BCG), which are characterized by the ability to produce interferon‐ γ (IFN‐ γ ), could be induced by immunization of mice with viable BCG but not with killed BCG. A high level of IFN‐ γ mRNA was observed when normal spleen cells were stimulated with viable but not killed BCG. By comparing mice immunized with either viable or killed M. bovis BCG, it was found that a high level of IFN‐ γ mRNA was expressed only after immunization with viable BCG. This finding prompted us to investigate the effect of neutralizing the IFN‐ γ on the final generation of protective T cells against M. bovis BCG. When endogenous IFN‐ γ was neutralized by administration of anti‐IFN‐ γ monoclonal antibody in mice immunized with viable BCG, the generation of protective T cells was significantly impaired, as revealed by the adoptive transfer of spleen T cells. The generation of BCG‐specific, IFN‐ γ ‐producing T cells was also abolished. These results clearly demonstrate that endogenous IFN‐ γ actually plays a critical role in the generation of protective T cells against M. bovis BCG in vivo . Moreover, this study suggests that the lack of IFN‐ γ ‐inducing ability is responsible for the inability of killed M. bovis BCG to induce protective T cells in mice.