FIG. 6.

Transfer of MCMV-immune T cells successfully clears acute neurotropic disease. (A) Maximal adaptive immune response against neurotropic disease. MCMV-immune BALB/c mice that had previously cleared an initial MVMV infection were then challenged intracranially with virus. All mice in this group rapidly and effectively cleared acute neurotropic CMV infection within 7 days of challenge. SCID mice reconstituted with immune splenocytes (AT SCID) from BALB/c mice that had cleared initial infection also significantly reduced viral DNA load as tested by real-time quantitative PCR, but to a lesser extent than fully immunocompetent mice. (B) Quantification of MCMV in the brain was determined using viral gB DNA (real-time PCR, black bars) and recovery of live virus (plaque assay, gray bars). No live virus remained in groups receiving either unsorted splenocytes or T-cell-enriched fractions. (C) CD4⁺ Th1 cells are a major contributor in the clearance of active MCMV in the brain, while reconstituted CD8⁺ T cells showed no difference in virus load compared to SCID controls. Results for DNA quantification using real-time PCR (black bars in all graphs) are expressed as relative fold increase in the amount of viral DNA compared to other experimental groups. *, P ≤ 0.1; **, P ≤ 0.05; n, number of mice per group.