Role of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in mouse hepatitis virus infection in mice.

Viral growth and histopathological changes in the liver after intraperitoneal infection with mouse hepatitis virus, strain JHM were compared among normal C57BL/6 mice, those depleted of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and both T cell subsets. Viral growth in mice depleted of CD4+ T cells increased slightly, but pathological changes resembled those in normal mice. In contrast, the hepatitis was exacerbated in mice depleted of CD8+ T cells and those depleted of both T cell subsets. These results suggest that CD8+ T cells play a key role although both T cell subsets are involved in protection against mouse hepatitis virus infection in mice.