Selective immunosuppressive effects of measles virus infection

The antibody response to diphtheria toxoid by cultured tonsil cells was suppressed by measles virus, which productively infected a small percentage of both T and B lymphocytes. However, infection of cultures spontaneously secreting antibody and immunoglobulin (with Herpes simplex virus) or measles virus did not result in immunosuppression. Immunosuppression by measles virus may thus be attributed to a selective effect on the inductive phase of the response and suggest that infection of immunoglobulin-producing B lymphocytes does not alter the ability of these cells to secrete antibody.