HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Data Supplement All Versions of this Article: jimmunol.0902454v1 183/11/6898    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Google Scholar Articles by Huster, K. M. Articles by Busch, D. H. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Huster, K. M. Articles by Busch, D. H.

Cutting Edge: Memory CD8 T Cell Compartment Grows in Size with Immunological Experience but Nevertheless Can Lose Function¹

Katharina M. Huster,^* Christian Stemberger,^* Georg Gasteiger, Wolfgang Kastenmüller,² Ingo Drexler, and Dirk H. Busch^3*

*Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene and Institute of Virology, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany; and Clinical Cooperation Groups "Antigen-specific Immunotherapy" and "Immune-Monitoring," Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany and Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany

The size of the adaptive immune system is considered to be kept constant by the attrition of pre-existing memory. However, recently it was shown that the CD8 memory compartment can grow in size and the number of pre-existing memory is largely preserved, predicting that pre-existing immunity should be maintained (Vezys et al.; Nature 457: 196–199). Experimental proof for this assumption is still lacking. We address this question in the Listeria monocytogenes (L.m.) infection model and confirm the growth of size of the memory compartment by subsequent vaccination with modified vaccinia virus Ankara. We also find only modest attrition of pre-existing L.m.-specific memory CD8 T cells. However, pre-existing protective immunity toward L.m. is not preserved. Pre-existing L.m.-specific effector-memory cells, in contrast to central memory cells, become altered, and this results in a significant loss of pre-existing protective immunity. Our findings are clinically relevant for vaccines introducing new CD8 memory cells in high numbers, as this might influence pre-existing immunity.

Correspondence: ³ Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Dirk H. Busch, Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University Munich, Trogerstrasse 30, 81675 Munich, Germany. E-mail address: dirk.busch{at}lrz.tum.de

¹ This work was supported by German Research Foundation Grants SFB 576 TP-A8 and TR-SFB 36 TP-B3.

² Current address: Lymphocyte Biology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.