Gamma interferon is not essential for recovery from acute infection with murine gammaherpesvirus 68

Abstract

Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) when administered intranasally induces high levels of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) in the lymphoid tissues of infected mice. In order to investigate the role of this cytokine in the immune response to MHV-68, mice which were congenitally deficient in the IFN- γ gene (IFN-γ knockout mice) were infected with the virus. Comparison of the courses of the disease in wild-type control and IFN-γ knockout mice revealed surprisingly little difference. Both groups of mice had cleared infectious virus from the lungs 15 days after infection, although there did appear to be a slight delay in viral clearance in the IFN-γ knockout mice. In addition, after the initial phase of..