title: Attrition of virus-specific memory CD8+ T cells during reconstitution of lymphopenic environments.
abstract: Viruses can cause a severe lymphopenia early in infection and a subsequent, lasting loss of pre-existing CD8(+) memory T cells. We therefore questioned how well virus Ag-specific memory CD8(+) T cells could reconstitute mice rendered lymphopenic as a consequence of genetics, irradiation, or viral or poly(I:C)-induced cytokines. In each case, reconstitution of the CD8(+) compartment was associated with limited division of virus-specific memory T cells and a reduction in their proportion. This indicates that foreign Ag-experienced CD44(high)CD8(+) memory T cells may respond differently to homeostatic signals than other CD44(high)CD8(+) cells, and that events inducing lymphopenia may lead to a permanent reduction in T cell memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
authors.forename: Craig D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.forename: Sung-Kwon
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Raymond M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Welsh
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D001117:Arenaviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000821:virology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000528:radiation effects; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008216:Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis / Q000276:immunology; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000276:immunology; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016513:Mice, SCID; D018052:Pichinde virus / Q000276:immunology; D011828:Radiation Chimera; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors