VARIABLE EFFECTS OF DENGUE VIRUS-INDUCED CYTOTOXIC FACTORS ON DIFFERENT SUBPOPULATIONS OF MACROPHAGES

  • 1 July 1987
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 61  (3) , 297-301
Abstract
Dengue virus (DV) induces T lymphocytes of the spleen to produce a cytotoxic factor (CF) that induces a subpopulation of macrophages (M.vphi.) to produce a soluble cytotoxin (CF2). Both these factors kill normal lymphoid cells and M.vphi.. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of these factors on the I-A-positive and I-A-negative subpopulations of mouse peritoneal M.vphi.. It was observed that CF kills I-A-negative M.vphi. and induces I-A-positive M.vphi. to produce the CF2 that kills both types of cells. However, even when combined together, CF and CF2 do not kill 100% of the M.vphi.. The two-step mechanism involving co-operation between T cells and M.vphi. appears to be biologically economical for maintaining the cytotoxic pathway.