Herpes simplex virus type 1-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte arming occurs within lymph nodes draining the site of cutaneous infection

Abstract

Various studies have shown that major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) can be isolated from lymph nodes draining sites of cutaneous infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV- 1). Invariably, detection of this cytolytic activity appeared to require some level of in vitro culture of the isolated lymph node cells, usually for 3 days, in the absence of exogenous viral antigen. This in vitro 'resting' period was thought to represent the phase during which committed CD8+ T cells become 'armed' killers after leaving the lymph nodes and prior to their entry into infected tissue as effector CTL. In this study we reexamined the issue of CTL appearance i..