The secondary in vitro murine cytotoxic T cell response to the flavivirus, West Nile.

A secondary in vitro murine cytotoxic response to the flavivirus, West Nile (WNV) is described. Cytotoxic activity was obtained from spleen cells of mice primed 7 days previously with 10(6) p.f.u. WNV and boosted in vitro for a further 5 days with WNV-infected stimulator spleen cells. The cells responsible for lysis of WNV-infected target cells were restricted by class 1 H-2 antigens. The K region of the H-2k haplotype and both the K and D regions of the H-2d haplotype were permissive. The cytotoxic cells were virus-specific with respect to WNV and Influenza. The phenotype of the cells which mediated cytotoxicity was Thy 1+, Lyt 2+ and L3T4-; however an L3T4+ helper population was required for the optimal generation of the cytotoxic response in vitro.