We have previously demonstrated a role for T cells in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)
using the mdx mouse and have shown that T cell killing of dystrophic muscle can occur
through perforin-dependent and perforin-independent mechanisms. In this investigation, we
explore the possibility that one perforin-independent mechanism utilized by the T cells is
cytokine-based killing, specifically by tumor necrosis factor (TNF). We tested this hypothesis
by generating mice that are TNF-deficient and dystrophin-deficient (TNF−/mdx). Body mass …