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Abstract
The immunopathologic uveitis and panophthalmitis produced by intraocular injection of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in mice can be abrogated by immunosuppression with Cytoxan. Ocular inflammation is triggered in the resulting chronic virus carriers following adoptive transfer of immune spleen cells. This report demonstrates that destruction of the thymus-dependent (T cell) class of lymphocytes in the transferred cell population, by treatment with anti-θ antibody and complement, prevents the induction of ocular pathology. The residual cells do form humoral antibody and mediate a degree of virus clearance in the host, although without evidence of disease. Thus, this model of virus-induced immunopathology is clearly based upon a mechanism of cellular immunity.