Postexposure vaccination massively increases the prevalence of γ-herpesvirus-specific CD8 T cells but confers minimal survival advantage on CD4-deficient mice

Abstract

Mice that lack CD4+ T cells remain clinically normal for more than 60 days after respiratory challenge with the murine γ-herpesvirus 66 (γHV-68), then develop symptoms of a progressive wasting disease. The γHV-68-specific CD8+ T cells that persist in these I-Ab-/- mice are unable to prevent continued, but relatively low level, virus replication. Postexposure challenge with recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing γHV-68 lytic cycle epitopes massively increased the magnitude of the γHV-68-specific CD8+ population detectable by staining with tetrameric complexes of MHC class I glycoprotein + peptide, or by interferon-γ production subsequent to in vitro restimulation with peptide. The boosting e..