Cytotoxic T cell

About: Cytotoxic T cell is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 92492 publications have been published within this topic receiving 4768477 citations. The topic is also known as: killer T cell & cytotoxic T lymphocyte.

CD8+ T Cells Mediate Viral Clearance and Disease Pathogenesis during Acute Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Abstract: Although the CD4 + - and CD8 + -T-cell responses to the hepatitis B virus (HBV) are thought to be crucial for the control of HBV infection, the relative contribution of each T-cell subset as an effector of viral clearance is not known. To examine this question, we monitored the course of HBV infection in control, CD4-depleted, and CD8-depleted chimpanzees. Our results demonstrate that CD8 + cells are the main effector cells responsible for viral clearance and disease pathogenesis during acute HBV infection, and they suggest that viral clearance is mediated by both noncytolytic and cytolytic effector functions of the CD8 + -T-cell response.

Tumor necrosis factor can induce both apoptic and necrotic forms of cell lysis.

Abstract: TNF is a protein toxin which is secreted by activated macrophages and monocytes. Although the cytotoxic activity of TNF has been well documented, the mechanism of TNF-induced lysis is not well understood. The goal of this investigation was to determine whether TNF caused one of the classic forms of cell death, i.e., apoptosis, which is characterized by nuclear disintegration and cytoplasmic "boiling," or necrosis, which is characterized by the formation of a "balloon-like" plasma membrane and a lack of nuclear disintegration. Therefore, to distinguish apoptosis from necrosis, we have used time-lapse video microscopy to observe the death of several TNF-sensitive target cell lines while measuring the release of Na2(51)CrO4 and [3H]TdR from cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments, respectively. As targets we selected two spontaneously sensitive cell lines, F17 and L-M, and one resistant cell line, C3HA, which was sensitized by treatment with cycloheximide or by infection with the adeno-SV40 hybrid virus Ad2+ND2. We find that the type of cell death observed depends on the cell being tested. For example, in F17 cells we found that TNF treatment induced a classical form of apoptosis. In contrast, TNF induced a necrotic form of cell death in L-M cells, similar to the lysis induced by antibody and C. Finally, we found that sensitized C3HA cells displayed a novel cytolytic phenotype which resembled apoptosis but did not include DNA fragmentation. These results emphasize the complex nature of the TNF-induced cytotoxic response.

Regulation of Immunity to Parasites by T Cells and T Cell-Derived Cytokines

Abstract: Parasitic protozoa and helminths are a diverse group of organisms which together form a major cause of infectious disease in humans and livestock. Studies in animal models have revealed that T lymphocytes and the cytokines they produce play a crucial role in determining the outcome of parasitic infection in terms of both protective immunity and immunopathology. Of particular interest is recent evidence that different parasitic infections in the context of different host genetic background can trigger polarized CD4+ T cell subset responses. The set of cytokines produced by these different T helper responses, in turn, can have opposing effects on the parasite, resulting in either control of infection or promotion of disease. Moreover, cytokines produced by one CD4+ subset can block either the production and/or activity of the cytokines produced by the other subset. The establishment of this state of cross-regulation may be important for parasite survival. CD8+ T cells also appear to play a dual effector/regulatory role in parasite immunity and immunopathology, although the mechanisms underlying their induction and function are less well understood. CD(8+)-mediated cytolytic killing functions have now been demonstrated against a number of different intracellular protozoa, although IFN-gamma produced by the same effector cells may also be critical in host community. In addition to providing highly relevant models for studying the selection and immunobiologic function of T-cell subsets, research on T lymphocyte-parasite interactions is crucial for the design of effective vaccines and immunotherapies and thus has broad practical as well as theoretical ramifications.