Friend virus-induced immunodepression: effect of neuraminidase treatment on Thy-1.2 antigen expression and cytotoxic potential of splenocytes from virus-infected mice.

Infection of susceptible strains of mice with Friend leukemia virus (FLV) results in a profound depression of cell-mediated immunity as assessed by lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity. This depression occurs early in the disease, before the onset of splenomegaly, and is associated with a decline in the susceptibility of splenocytes from FLV-infected mice to lysis by anti-Thy-1. 2 serum and complement. Treatment of splenocytes from FLV-infected mice with neuraminidase restores, in large part, their susceptibility to anti-Thy-1.2 serum as well as their cytolytic capacity. These studies suggest that one early immunosuppressive consequence of infection with FLV involves alteration of the effector T-lymphocyte cell surface.