Mechanisms of resistant of herpesviruses: comparison of the effectiveness of different cell types in mediating antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Enriched populations of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and macrophages obtained from the mammary gland and of granulocytes (PBG) and lymphocytes (PBL) prepared from peripheral blood of the same animal were compared for their ability to mediate antibody-dependent cell cytotoxocity against antibody-sensitized infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus-infected target cells (IBR-GBK) and antibody-sensitized chicken erythrocyte targest (CRBC). The order of effectiveness was PMN leads to macrophages leads to PBG leads to PBL. The reason why PBG (86% PMN) were less than 50% as active as mammary PMN (99% PMN) was explored and discussed. The findings that PMN were more effective on a cell-to-cell basis, required less antiserum to sensitize for cytotoxicity, and destroyed IBR-GBK cells faster and more completely than other cell types could mean that PMN may be the cell type most importnat in causing early recovery from herpesvirus infections.