Study of mouse spleen "natural cytotoxic" (NC) cell activity related to in vivo administration of B4 coxsackievirus.

By using A2G 40-day-old mice as responders, the influence of in vivo infection with a human strain of B4 coxsackievirus on "natural cytotoxic" (NC) cell activity was assayed, in relation to other immunomodulating treatments (beta-interferon, interleukin-1, or prostaglandin-E2). A significant increase of NC cell cytolysis was noticed in virus-infected mouse group, as compared to the control. The NC cell stimulation exerted by in vivo administration of beta-interferon or of interleukin-1 was not modified in virus-infected groups, but coxsackievirus was able to prevent the inhibitory effects of prostaglandin-E2 at the NC cell activity level when the cytotoxic assays were performed with 20:1 and 10:1 effector/"target" cell ratios, respectively. A possible extrapolation of results in the human medical practice is discussed.