Immunoregulatory abnormalities induced by experimental reovirus infection: functional alterations in T-cell subpopulations.

A primary anti-sheep red blood cell (SRBC) plaque assay system was used to analyze the effect of reovirus infection on immunoregulatory T-cells. A decrease in the plaque-forming cell (PFC) response of splenic lymphocytes was observed within 24 hr of infection with 10(9) or 10(11) particles of reovirus type 1 or reovirus type 3 and persisted for more than 7 days. In coculture experiments, T-cells from infected mice were found to produce less help to control B-cells and to suppress helper function mediated by control T-cells. This suppression did not require the presence of an Lyt1,2,3 cell. In addition, isolated Lyt1 cells from reovirus-inoculated mice provided less help than did Lyt1 cells from normal controls. These abnormalities were more marked following inoculation with reovirus type 3 than with type 1. Live virus was not required for these effects, as T-cells from mice inoculated with ultraviolet (uv)-inactivated reovirus when added to normal B-cells reproduced the effects of infection with live virus. Furthermore, these changes were not the result of alterations in the percentages or numbers of distinct Lyt-bearing T-cell subpopulations in the spleens of inoculated mice. Thus, humoral hyporesponsiveness following reovirus infection of adult mice is associated both with active T-cell suppression of B-cell help and with decreased help mediated by the Lyt1 subset.