Clearance of a persistent paramyxovirus infection is mediated by cellular immune responses but not by serum-neutralizing antibody.

Infection of the lungs of immunodeficient mice with the paramyxovirus simian virus 5 (SV5) was prolonged compared with the time course of infection in immunocompetent mice. Although there was a significant increase in both viral RNA and proteins, little infectious virus was produced. Adoptive transfer of immune lymphocytes (isolated from the spleens of mice previously infected with SV5) but not of nonimmune lymphocytes increased the speed of clearance of virus from the lungs of immunodeficient mice. In contrast, passive transfer of a pool of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies specific for the HN and F glycoproteins of SV5 did not have a significant effect on the speed of clearance of virus. Furthermore, no significant increase in the rate of virus clearance was observed upon adoptive transfer of purified immune B lymphocytes to SV5-infected immunodeficient mice despite production by the mice of high titers of neutralizing antibodies. Evidence is presented that CD8+ effector cells are primarily responsible for the clearance observed. The general significance of these results with respect to immune clearance of persistent virus infections is discussed.