Application of microassay technique in cell-mediated immunity to measles virus infection.

A microassay technique for the detection of cell-mediated immunity to measles virus is described. Lymphocytotoxicity of peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined employing the percent reduction of target cells surviving on the microtissue culture plate. Simultaneously, subpopulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes was also measured. Significant measles specific cytotoxicity was only demonstrated in the subjects with prior histories of measles but no reactivity was observed in the children without the history. Cell-mediated immunity appeared slightly earlier than the elevation of hemagglutination inhibition antibody titer. Both reactivities progressively increased and exhibited the maximal responses at the reconvalescent period of 2nd to 3rd week after skin rash. Depletion of T lymphocyte was most prominent at the stage of Kopliks enanthema or the early stage of exanthema.