Antiviral CD8+ T-cell immunity is primed weakly during GVHD. BALB/c (non-GVHD) and DBA/2 (GVHD) mice were transplanted with BALB/c BM (5 × 106) and CD3+ T cells (2.5 × 106). Mice were infected with 5 × 103 pfu MCMV 4 weeks after transplantation. (A) Splenic CD8+ T cells were enumerated at the indicated times post-MCMV. Day 0 represent baseline values obtained from uninfected controls. (B) Representative plots showing MCMV-specific CD8+ T cells identified using IE1 tetramers are shown. (C) IE1-specific CD8+ T cells present in the spleen were enumerated on day 7 after MCMV infection, and compared with uninfected controls. (A) n = 3 to 4 mice per group; (B) plot is representative of data from at least 3 independent experiments where n = 5 mice per group; C: n = 4 to 7 mice per group. Data in A and C are representative of at least 2 independent experiments. *P = .01-.05.
