Fig 7. Tax-expressing cells are preferentially killed by cultured autologous CD8⁺ cells.

(A) Selective loss of live Tax-expressing ATL cells after incubation with cultured CD8⁺ cells. Extended analysis of data from Fig 6. ATL clones from three Tax^high ATL patients (LGZ, LGC and LGB) were gated on the basis of Tax expression as shown. For each donor, graphs show the percentage of Tax⁺ or Tax⁻cells which were killed in the presence of cultured autologous CD8⁺ cells. Flow plots show Tax and CADM1 expression by live CD3⁺CD4⁺CADM1⁺TCRVβX⁺ cells from each individual after culture alone or in the presence of CD8⁺ cells at the highest E:T ratio tested. (B) Comparison of the rate at which ex vivo and cultured CD8⁺ cells supress survival of the populations indicated in ATL patients (n = 9) and ACs (n = 10). Subsets of cells which expressed Tax (in both ATL and ACs) are plotted in red. Data from Fig 6 was analysed by nonlinear regression to estimate the % change observed in each population with each 1% increase in CD8⁺ cells present in the co-culture. A negative rate indicates that number of viable target cells recovered from the co-culture was greater in the presence of CD8⁺ cells versus in the absence of CD8⁺ cells. Statistical analysis (CADM1⁺TCRVβ⁻ groups only): Wilcoxon matched pairs test, two tailed, 95% confidence interval.