MHC-Restricted Protection of Cats against FIV Infection by Adoptive Transfer of Immune Cells from FIV-Vaccinated Donors

• Published in: Cellular immunology Vol. 198; no. 1; pp. 30 - 43
• Main Authors: Pu, Ruiyu, Omori, Mayuko, Okada, Susumu, Rine, Stacy L., Lewis, Barbara A., Lipton, Edward, Yamamoto, Janet K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 25.11.1999
• Subjects: Adoptive Transfer - methods; Adoptive Transfer - statistics & numerical data; AIDS/HIV; Animals; Antibodies, Viral - biosynthesis; Bone Marrow Transplantation - immunology; Bone Marrow Transplantation - methods; Cats; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic - immunology; Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - immunology; Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - prevention & control; Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - virology; feline immunodeficiency virus; Immunity, Cellular - immunology; Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline - immunology; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - transplantation; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; Major Histocompatibility Complex - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; Tissue Donors; Viral Load; Viral Vaccines - immunology
• ISSN: 0008-8749; 1090-2163
• DOI: 10.1006/cimm.1999.1574

The role of cellular immunity in vaccine protection against FIV infection was evaluated using adoptive cell transfer studies. Specific-pathogen-free cats received two adoptive transfers of washed blood cells from either vaccinated or unvaccinated donors with varying MHC compatibility at 1-week intervals, and a homologous FIVPet challenge 1 day after the first adoptive transfer. FIV-specific CTL, IFN-γ production, and proliferation responses were detected in the PBMC from the vaccinated donors. Seven of eleven (64%) recipients of cells from half-matched/vaccinated donors remained negative for FIV-antibodies after FIV challenge and four of those were completely protected. Two of two recipients of cells from MHC-identical/vaccinated donors were completely protected. All recipients of cells from unrelated/vaccinated, half-matched/unvaccinated, or unrelated/unvaccinated donors were unprotected. Thus, protection mediated by adoptive transfer of immunocytes from vaccinated cats was MHC-restricted, occurred in the absence of antiviral humoral immunity, and correlated with the transfer of cells with FIV-specific CTL and T-helper activities.