Nature 216, 179 - 180 (14 October 1967); doi:10.1038/216179a0

Effects of Anti-thymocyte Serum on 17-D Yellow Fever Infection in Adult Mice

M. S. HIRSCH & F. A. MURPHY

Department of Health, Education and Welfare, US Public Health Service, National Communicable Disease Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

MANY neurotropic viral infections are accompanied by inflammatory cellular infiltrates of the central nervous system. With some of these viruses, notably lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), the cellular response is believed to be responsible for the morbidity and mortality associated with infection¹, and suppression of the lymphocytic response by treatment with anti-thymocyte serum prevents clinical signs of disease^2,3. Yellow fever infection caused by the 17-D virus in mice is characterized by a diffuse encephalomyelitis consisting of mononuclear cell infiltration of leptomeninges and perivascular areas, as well as neuronal degeneration and glial proliferation⁴. We have used rabbit anti-mouse thymocyte (RAMT) serum to prevent cellular responsiveness to 11-D virus, in order to evaluate the role of delayed hypersensitivity in the pathogenesis of experimental yellow fever.

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