The Journal of immunology : official journal of the American Association of Immunologists
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Borna disease is a virus-induced, immune-mediated encephalomyelitis based on a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. The severity of clinical symptoms after intracerebral infection of rats with Borna disease virus was reduced after treatment with transforming growth factor (TGF-beta 2). Intraperitoneal injection of the recombinant molecule, rTGF-beta 2, started on the day of infection at a dose of either 1 micrograms given every day or every other day for 8 consecutive days or 2 micrograms every third day, was found to result in the absence of typical Borna disease symptoms at 14 days after infection in most of the TGF-beta-treated rats, a time point at which all infected control animals not treated with rTGF-beta 2 showed distinct signs of Borna disease. ⋯ Furthermore, the expression of MHC class II Ag was significantly reduced in the brain of rTGF-beta 2 treated Borna disease virus-infected rats, whereas MHC class I Ag expression was not. Most treated animals showed a reduction of Borna disease virus-specific serum antibodies, the result of an inhibition of the IgG response. The results presented here suggest a distinct influence of rTGF-beta 2 on T cell-mediated immune functions during the early phase of Borna disease virus-induced encephalomyelitis.