Figure 2

T lymphocyte depletion protects against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) induced myocarditis. Intact C57BL/6 male mice were injected intraperitoneally with 100 μg monoclonal anti-CD3 antibody or rat IgG2b isotype immunoglobulin on days -3 and +1 relative to infection with CVB3 (100 plaque-forming units (PFU)). Surviving mice were killed 7 days after infection and evaluated for (a) myocarditis using a 0-4 histology scale and (b) cardiac virus titers (PFU log10/g tissue). Results represent mean ± SEM of 5-7 mice/group. *Significantly different than IgG isotype treated group at P < 0.01.