Analysis of the virus-specific and nonspecific B cell response to a persistent B-lymphotropic gammaherpesvirus

Abstract

Respiratory challenge of mice with murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (γHV68) results in acute replication in respiratory epithelial cells and persistent, latent infection of B cells and macrophages. γHV68 elicits virus-specific Ab, and also nonspecifically activates B cells to Ab production through a CD4+ T cell-dependent process. The current analysis characterizes virus- specific and nonspecific Ab production at the single cell level and investigates the requirements and nature of the nonspecific response. Virus. specific Ab-forming cell (AFC) numbers were dwarfed by the increase in total AFC in all sites examined, indicating substantial nonspecific Ab production. Clear increases and decreases in ..