T-cell subsets of the encephalitis induced by the superantigen Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A (SEA) in the Lewis rat: an immunohistochemical investigation.

In the present investigation, T-cell subsets of the previously described superantigen-induced encephalitis [9] have been investigated in 16 Lewis rats in comparison with four controls. Three days after intracerebral injection of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A (SEA) or saline, 1.5 x 10(7) ConA-activated splenocytes were loaded i.v. animals were sacrificed after 0.5, 3 or 5 days, followed by immunohistochemical investigation of CD3, CD4 and CD8. Pronounced perivascular cuffing was identified 0.5 days after splenocyte injection and declined thereafter. The majority of the perivascular round cells consisted of CD8+ T-cells (65%) and CD4+ T-cells (10%). Less than 20% of the perivascular round cells were CD3+. The reduced expression of CD3 relative to e.g. CD8 is presumably due to the previous superantigenic stimulus. The presented data may be of relevance for the pathogenesis of infectious or autoimmune encephalitis, e.g. in multiple sclerosis.