Selective depletion of nonspecific T cells during the early stage of immune responses to infection

Transient T cell depletion occurs before the development of an effective immune response to infection. In this study we show that most T cells, regardless of specificity, are induced to express early activation markers soon after infection with Listeria monocytogenes or lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Ag-specific T cells are further activated to display late activation markers and undergo extensive proliferation. As Ag-specific T cells begin to expand, nonspecific T cells are depleted en masse and exhibit no sign of further activation or proliferation before their depletion. This selective depletion of nonspecific T cells is due to in situ death via apoptosis, as visualized by confocal microscopy. Thus, early activation and subsequent depletion of nonspecific T cells are integral parts of the immune response to proinflammatory infections. These results have important implications for our understanding of early events in the development of a robust T cell response.