Mechanisms of suppression of cytotoxic T-cell responses in murine lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection

The cytotoxic T-cell response to lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus infection was suppressed either in vitro or in vivo by addition of a high level of syngeneic virus-infected cells or syngeneic cells from congenital LCM virus carriers to the environment of the responding cells. This effect was not duplicated by formaldehyde-fixed carrier cells, nor could it be accounted for by 'cold' target competition by carrier cells at the level of the cytotoxicity assay. Conversely, suppression was produced in vivo by water-lysed, ultrasonically treated carrier cell suspensions, or by a large dose of LCM virus equivalent to that contained in the carrier cells. Thus a high level of infectious virus was a common factor in all observed examples of suppression. Based upon this, the following hypothesis, a form of 'forbidden clone deletion,' was proposed to account for virus-specific cytotoxic T-cell tolerance in LCM virus congenital carriers, or in high dose suppression. A high level of virus in lymphoid tissues, while not cytopathic per se, may result in infection of all or most T cells; this then may lead to deletion either via 'suicide' of individual, infected, cytotoxic T cells with receptors specific for virus-induced antigenic patterns on their own surface membranes, or by mutual lysis of two adjacent T cells.