Fig. 2.

Long-lasting decline in the number of memory CD8+ T cells following WBI in contrast to numerical recovery of naïve CD8+ T cells. (A) Experimental design: 10⁴ naive Thy1.1⁺ P14 CD8⁺ T cells were adoptively transferred into Thy1.2⁺ naïve hosts, followed by LCMV-Arm infection to generate memory P14 CD8 T cells. Forty-five days later, the memory P14 chimeric mice were either exposed to mock or 5Gy WBI. Analysis was performed on the indicated timepoints after irradiation. The number of (B) total CD8⁺ T cells, (C) naïve CD8⁺ T cells, and (D) P14 memory CD8 T cells was assessed in the blood up to D270. (E) Ratio of the number of indicated cells from 5Gy hosts to 0Gy hosts in blood following WBI. All data are representative of at least two independent experiments with 4 to 10 mice per group. *=P < 0.05, **=P < 0.01, ***=P < 0.001. Error bars represent SEM.