Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mediated by T-cell line. II. Specific requirements and the role of pertussis vaccine for the in vitro activation of the cells and induction of disease.

Murine T-cell lines derived from (SJL/J X BALB/c)F1 mice were established which are specifically proliferating in response to myelin basic protein (BP) and are also functional in mediating experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in normal recipients. Partial characterization of the cells, the requirements of their selection and in vitro activation, and the role of pertussis vaccine for mediation of EAE were studied. The EAE-effector line cells were characterized as Lyt 1+2- cells, suggesting delayed-type hypersensitivity mechanism as a major EAE-effector mechanism in mice. Activation in vitro of EAE-effector line cells by stimulation with BP or concanavalin A in the presence of irradiated syngeneic accessory cells was required to facilitate their capacity to mediate EAE in normal recipients. (SJL/J X BALB/c)F1 EAE-effector line cells recognize BP presented by F1-specific accessory cells to facilitate adequate specific proliferation of the cells. Pertussis vaccine was found nonessential for mediation of EAE by BP-specific effector line cells, but was found essential for uncovering T cells responding to BP. Thus, the pertussis vaccine may play a more crucial role at the sensitization phase, by enhancing a T-cell response to BP, rather than by altering the blood-brain barrier at the effector phase of EAE.