Vaccinia-interleukin 2 recombinant virus or exogenous interleukin 2 does not alter the magnitude or immune response gene defects of the cytotoxic T-cell response to vaccinia virus in vivo.

We investigated the role of interleukin 2 (IL-2), a T cell-derived lymphokine, in the generation of in vivo cytotoxic T-cell responses to vaccinia virus. We made use of a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding and expressing the murine IL-2 gene and recombinant IL-2 to test the role of IL-2 in the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I determined immune response (Ir) gene defects in the response to vaccinia virus. IL-2 expressed either by the vaccinia virus vector or exogenous IL-2 does not alter Ir gene defects nor does IL-2 under such conditions elevate the cytotoxic T-cell response in general.