Protection against Murine Coxsackievirus B3 Myocarditis by T Cell Vaccination

T cell vaccination regulates autoimmunity by the modification of helper and suppressor T cells. The present study was performed to examine whether T cell vaccination can prevent viral myocarditis in vivo. We used coxsackievirus B3 myocarditis in mice as an animal model with the analysis of lymphokine-activated killer cell activity. Vaccination of the mice with T lymphocytes significantly prolonged survival and improved cardiac histology of murine myocarditis. The effects of T cell vaccination were most evident when T cells sensitized with the same virus were used. Vaccination of the mice with T cells from other strains of mice showed lesser protective effects. Clearance of myocardial virus was not affected by this treatment. The efficacy of T cell vaccination was confirmed in vitro by the decrease of the lymphokine-activated killer cell activity against EL-4 tumor cells and cultured myocytes. T cell vaccination of mice prolonged survival and improved myocardial lesions of animals inoculated with coxsackievirus B3.