Figure 10. HPV Ivag, but not Ad5 i.m., prime/boost immunization induces intraepithelial CD8⁺ T cells in the cervicovaginal epithelium.

Depo-Provera–treated mice were immunized with 5 × 10⁷ IU HPV16MM2 Ivag or with 5 × 10⁷ PFU Ad5-MM2 i.m., and 1 month later mice were immunized with 5 × 10⁷ IU HPV45MM2 or Ad5-MM2 i.m., respectively. (A) Two weeks after the last immunization, cervicovaginal tissue sections were co-stained for CD8 (green), CD3 (red), laminin 332 (magenta), and nuclei (blue). Scale bars: 50 μm. Images are representative of 5 animals tested for each condition examined. (B) In separate experiments, CD103 expression by K^dM2₈₂-tetramer⁺CD8⁺ T lymphocytes was analyzed by flow cytometry in cervicovaginal, ILN, and blood cell suspensions from HPV Ivag and Ad5 i.m. immunized animals. Control isotype (red lines) and CD103 antibody (blue lines) staining is shown in B, and the percentage of CD103⁺ cells is indicated in the histogram plots. Data are representative of 3 experiments.