Distinct recognition of influenza virus hemagglutinin and H-2 antigens by cytotoxic thymus derived lymphocytes.

Cytotoxic thymus derived (T) lymphocytes were readily detected in BALB/c and C3H mice during infection with influenza A (H0N1, H3N2, Heq1Neq1) and B viruses. T cell mediated lysis was specific for H-2 compatible target cells infected with the same strain of virus used to immunize the mice. The viral specificity was found to be related to the hemagglutinin antigen by the use of parent strains (H3N2 and HeqNeq) and their recombinant viruses which included the antigenic hybrids for hemagglutinin and neuraminidase (H3Neq1 and Heq1n2). In addition, cytotoxic T cell mediated lysis of influenza infected cells was demonstrated to be restricted to syngeneic cells and cells sharing the same H-2 haplotype. Thus, T cell mediated lysis of influenza infected cells appears to involve the distinct recognition of viral and H-2 antigens on the infected cell by the cytotoxic T cell.