Early programming of T cell populations responding to bacterial infection

R Mercado, S Vijh, SE Allen, K Kerksiek… - The Journal of …, 2000 - journals.aai.org
R Mercado, S Vijh, SE Allen, K Kerksiek, IM Pilip, EG Pamer
The Journal of Immunology, 2000journals.aai.org
The duration of infection and the quantity of Ag presented in vivo are commonly assumed to
influence, if not determine, the magnitude of T cell responses. Although the cessation of in
vivo T cell expansion coincides with bacterial clearance in mice infected with Listeria
monocytogenes, closer analysis suggests that control of T cell expansion and contraction is
more complex. In this report, we show that the magnitude and kinetics of Ag-specific T cell
responses are determined during the first day of bacterial infection. Expansion of Ag-specific …
Abstract
The duration of infection and the quantity of Ag presented in vivo are commonly assumed to influence, if not determine, the magnitude of T cell responses. Although the cessation of in vivo T cell expansion coincides with bacterial clearance in mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes, closer analysis suggests that control of T cell expansion and contraction is more complex. In this report, we show that the magnitude and kinetics of Ag-specific T cell responses are determined during the first day of bacterial infection. Expansion of Ag-specific T lymphocyte populations and generation of T cell memory are independent of the duration and severity of in vivo bacterial infection. Our studies indicate that the Ag-specific T cell response to L. monocytogenes is programmed before the peak of the innate inflammatory response and in vivo bacterial replication.
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