Class I-unrestricted noncytotoxic anti-HTLV-I activity of CD8(+) T cells.

Although it is widely believed that viral clearance is mediated principally by the destruction of infected cells by cytotoxic T cells, noncytolytic antiviral activity of CD8(+) T cells may play a role in preventing the progression to disease in infections with immunodeficiency viruses and hepatitis B virus. We demonstrate here that (1) replication of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) is more readily detected from CD8(+) T-cell-depleted (CD8(-)) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of healthy HTLV-I carriers than from unfractionated PBMCs, (2) cocultures of CD8(-) PBMCs with autologous or allogeneic CD8(+) T cells suppressed HTLV-I replication, and (3) CD8(+) T-cell anti-HTLV-I activity is not abrogated in trans-well cultures in which CD8(+) cells are separated from CD8(-) PBMCs by a permeable membrane filter. These results suggest that class I-unrestricted noncytolytic anti-HTLV-I activity is mediated, at least in part by a soluble factor(s), and may play a role in the pathogenesis of HTLV-I infection. (Blood. 2000;96:1994-1995)