Role of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the protection of mice against Encephalitozoon intestinalis infection

Abstract.

Severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice reconstituted with spleen cells from naive adult BALB/c mice were completely resistant to peroral infection with Encephalitozoon intestinalis (Calli, Kotler and Orenstein, 1993) Canning, Field, Hing and Marriott, 1994, whereas control, non-reconstituted SCID mice succumbed to the infection. The role of T-lymphocyte subpopulations in the protection against peroral E. intestinalis infection was studied in adoptive transfer experiments using SCID mice. SCID mice reconstituted with both CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte-depleted splenocytes succumbed to the peroral route of infection. In contrast, SCID mice reconstituted with either CD4+-depleted or CD8+ T-lymphocyte-depleted splenocytes completely resolved the infection. This indicates that CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte subpopulations play a substantive role in protection against peroral infection with the microsporidian, E. intestinalis.