CD8(+) T cells with parasite-specific cytotoxic activity and a Tc1 profile of cytokine and chemokine secretion develop in experimental visceral leishmaniasis.

Recently, a prominent role for CD8(+) T cells in immunity against pathogens has emerged. The mode of action of CD8(+) T cells in murine visceral leishmaniasis and their contribution to the clearance of the parasite has been addressed in the present study. We showed that during the course of experimental infection cytotoxic clones specific for Leishmania infantum antigens developed in the spleen of susceptible BALB/c mice, showed an activated phenotype and became susceptible to apoptotic cell death late in the course of the disease. CD8(+) T cells exhibited considerable cytotoxic activity against cells expressing Leishmania antigens. This activity was mediated by both the perforin and the Fas/FasL pathway, as judged from in vitro and in vivo assays. The CD8(+) T cells also up-regulated mRNAs for cytokines (IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha) and C-C chemokines (RANTES and MIP-1alpha), which have a major role in immunity against the pathogen. CD8(+) T-cells thus displayed a Tc1 pattern of differentiation. In conclusion, CD8(+) T cells appear to play multiple roles in an experimental model of visceral leishmaniasis comprising both cytotoxic activity and secretion of cytokines and chemokines.