Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity specific for hemagglutinin (H) protein of canine distemper virus in dogs.

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses to hemagglutinin (H) protein of canine distemper virus (CDV) were evaluated in dogs using the replication-deficient adenovirus protein expression system. Skin fibroblasts were isolated from two dogs and were infected with recombinant adenovirus bearing the CDV-H gene (Ade-CDVH). CTL assay was performed using fibroblasts expressing CDV-H protein as target cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) collected from the same dogs one week after immunization of CDV as effector cells. Specific cytotoxic activity was observed against autologous but not heterologous fibroblasts expressing CDV-H protein. These results indicate that the CTL epitope(s) were localized in the H protein.