CD4+ T cells are essential in overcoming experimental murine measles encephalitis.
Clinical observations and experimental animal models have stressed the importance of the cellular immune response in the recovery from measles virus infection. However, the relative contribution of different T-cell subsets to viral elimination is controversial. The aim of the present study was to define the components of the immune system which contribute to the control of measles virus infection. For this purpose the effect of in vivo depletion of CD4+ and/or CD8+ T lymphocytes in the murine model of experimental acute measles encephalitis was monitored with respect to disease manifestation, survival, neuropathological changes, virus elimination from brain, and antiviral antibody titre. In measles virus-resistant BALB/c mice removal of the CD8+ T-cell subset did not interfere with the clearance of virus from the brain. In contrast, depletion of CD4+ T cells rendered BALB/c mice susceptible to infection. Also, in measles virus-susceptible C3H mice CD4+ T cells played a role in recovery from measles infection, but seemed not to be as effective as CD4+ T cells from resistant BALB/c mice. The data indicate that CD4+ T cells are essential for protection against measles virus-infection of the central nervous system.