T lymphocytes mediate protection against Yersinia enterocolitica in mice: characterization of murine T-cell clones specific for Y. enterocolitica.

Yersinia enterocolitica is enteropathogenic for humans and rodents, causing intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. The cellular immune response of the infected host has not yet been analyzed in detail. Therefore, we used a parenteral mouse infection model to determine the role of T lymphocytes in immunity against Y. enterocolitica. We report the generation and characterization of Y. enterocolitica-specific T-cell clones isolated from spleens of intravenously infected C57BL/6 mice. The T-cell clones obtained showed the phenotype of helper T cells (L3T4) or cytotoxic T cells (Lyt2). All T-cell clones were positive for the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor (Tac antigen, p55 subunit) and were negative for the gamma delta T-cell receptor. L3T4+ clones produced small quantities of IL-2 (less than 1 U/ml) when stimulated with heat-killed Y. enterocolitica, whereas Lyt2+ clones produced no or extremely low levels of IL-2. In contrast to IL-2 production, both L3T4+ and Lyt2+ T-cell clones produced considerable quantities of gamma interferon (500 U/ml). When transferred into nonimmune mice, some of the L3T4+, as well as the Lyt2+, T-cell clones could mediate at least partial protection against a challenge of a lethal dose of Y. enterocolitica. These data demonstrate for the first time the generation and characterization of Y. enterocolitica-specific T-cell clones and provide evidence that T cells may be involved in protection against enteropathogenic Y. enterocolitica.