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Specific cytotoxic T cells eliminate cells producing neutralizing antibodies

Nature volume 382, pages 726–729 (1996)Cite this article

An Addendum to this article was published on 27 November 2003

An Erratum to this article was published on 21 November 1996

Abstract

IN medically important infections with cytopathic viruses, neutralizing antibodies are generated within 6–14 days. In contrast, such protective antibodies appear late (50–150 days) after infection with immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in humans, or lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) in mice1–6. However, during these infections, non-neutralizing antibodies appear much earlier2,6,7. It has been proposed that T cells suppress antibody responses generally and against viruses in vitro6,8–10. Here we show that the suppression of neutralizing-antibody responses in LCMV infections in mice is due to selective infection of neutralizing-antibody-producing B cells by this non-cytopathic virus, and their subsequent destruction by virus-specific cytotoxic T cells. Such specific B-cell elimination that leads to a delay in neutralizing-antibody production could help to establish persistent virus infections by non-cytopathic viruses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Experimental Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland

    Oliver Planz, Peter Seiler, Hans Hengartner & Rolf M. Zinkernagel

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  1. Oliver Planz
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  2. Peter Seiler
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  3. Hans Hengartner
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  4. Rolf M. Zinkernagel
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Planz, O., Seiler, P., Hengartner, H. et al. Specific cytotoxic T cells eliminate cells producing neutralizing antibodies. Nature 382, 726–729 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/382726a0

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