Immunology

The various arenaviruses have been shown to be related principally via complement fixation reac­tions to the glycoprotein gp44 in the viral envelopes. The nucleoproteins of the viruses demonstrate rela­tionships through virus neutralization tests. The fa­tal infection induced in adult mice experimentally inoculated with LCM has been shown to be associ­ated with a T cell-mediated immune response. Stud­ies of the several viruses of the Tacaribe group have extended knowledge of this phenomenon. When new­born mice are infected intracerebrally with LCM, their immune response is deficient, and they go into a lifetime chronic carrier state. This same response can be induced in adult mice that have been immunosuppressed.