Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) are a population of cells consisting mostly of
CD8+ T lymphocytes. Although their function is unknown, because of their location within the
epithelium it has been postulated that IEL may be involved in defense against infection of
the gut mucosa by pathogens including viruses. To address this issue, we have examined
IEL populations from BALB/c mice systemically infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis
virus (LCMV). Viral infection induced a virus-specific cytotoxic response by IEL at 8 days …