Figure 5. CD4+ depleted mice show a reduced CD8+ virus-specific T cell expansion upon MVA immunisation.
C57BL/6 mice were treated twice with 250 µg anti-CD4 Ab (GK1.5 Harlan) two and one day prior to immunization with 2×105 pfu MVA. As control untreated mice were immunized with 2×105 pfu MVA. (A) The frequency of expanded B8R-specific CD8+ T cells in control mice (black) and CD4-depleted mice (white) was monitored within the blood at different time points post MVA immunization. (B) CD4+ T cell depletion efficiency was monitored at the day of immunization by flow cytometry of blood samples. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells within CD3+ population of blood lymphocytes are shown from representative mice. (C) CD4+ T cell depletion efficiency at 6 dpi, the day of maximal T cell expansion, was calculated as % CD4+ of total peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). Data shown are pooled from two independent experiments with n = 5 mice per group. Statistical significance is shown by *** p>0.0001 using two-tailed t-test.