Figure 7. IL-4 and IL-13 dampen polyfunctional (IFN-γ⁺ TNF-α⁺) CD8⁺ T cell numbers following VV-WR infection.

BALB/c IL-13 ^−/−, BALB/c IL-4 ^−/−, BALB/c STAT6 ^−/− and BALB/c WT control mice (n = 6 per group) were infected with 3×10⁶ PFU of VV-WR or kept as unimmunized controls for 7 days prior to sacrifice and analysis using ICS after in vitro peptide stimulation. A, Representative dot plots showing IFN-γ and TNF-α expression on gated CD8⁺ splenocytes from VV-WR infected mice of the indicated genetic background following in vitro stimulation of splenocytes with the indicated peptides. B, Mean (n = 6) total number of K^dA52_75–83 or K^dF2_26–34 specific CD8⁺ IFN-γ⁺ or CD8⁺ IFN-γ⁺ TNF-α⁺ splenocytes from the indicated mice infected with VV-WR. C, Mean (n = 6) proportion of K^dA52_75–83 or K^dF2_26–34 specific CD8⁺ IFN-γ⁺ splenocytes that also produced TNF-α from the indicated mice infected with VV-WR. The data presented in all panels are representative of at least two independent. Error bars depict the SEM and statistical significance was determined using a one-way ANOVA (Tukey's Multiple Comparison) relative to WT control mice (* - p<0.05; *** - p<0.001).