Figure 2.

EBI3 depletion in transgenic Eµ-TCL1 mice affects mice survival. (A) Transgenic Eμ-T C L1 mice were crossed with Ebi3^-/-mice to obtain leukemic mice deficient in interleukin 27 (IL-27). Starting at 6 months after birth, mice were bled every month to evaluate peripheral disease development (T=Eμ-TC L1 mice; TE=Eμ-TCL1 Ebi3^-/- mice). Mouse survival was compared between groups (survival curve analysis). (B) Percentages of neoplastic CD5⁺ CD19⁺ cells were detected by flow cytometry (FC) in peripheral blood (PB) (N=17 for T mice and N=14 for TE mice, two-way ANOVA test). (C-E) Leukemic T and TE mice were euthanized and their splenocytes were analyzed using FC. (C) Percentage of CD8⁺ T cells in control (Ctrl) and Ebi3^-/- CD3⁺ T cells and frequency of indicated populations among T and TE CD8⁺ T cells (N=6 for T group and N=6 for TE group). (D) Percentages of CD8⁺ T-cell clusters distribution in T and TE mice. (E) Percentage of conventional T-cell (Tconv) and regulatory T-cell (Tregs) populations among CD4⁺ T cells (left) and frequency of indicated cell populations among Tregs (right). (F) Leukemic Eμ-T C L1 mice and Eμ-TCL1 Ebi3^-/- mice were euthanized, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells were isolated from splenocytes. Isolated CLL cells were adoptively transferred into wild-type (WT) mice. Recipient mice were bled weekly to evaluate peripheral disease development. Percentages of neoplastic CD5⁺ CD19⁺ cells were detected in PB by FC (N=12 mice divided in 6 groups. Each group of 2 animals received 1 independent CLL clone coming from diseased T or TE mice). Unpaired t test, *P<0.05, **P<0.01.