Antigen-specific CD8(+) T cell responses in intestinal tissues during murine listeriosis

Infection of mice with Listeria monocylogenes induces a strong CD8(+) T cell response, which is critical for the control of bacteria and for protection against re-infection. We analyzed the CD8(+) T cell response in different intestinal tissues following oral and intravenous (i.v.) L. monocytogenes infection. After oral infection, bacterial titers in small intestine and large intestine, and the listeria-specific CD8(+) T cell response in the mucosa of both parts of the intestine, were highly correlated. Oral infection of CD28-deficient mice revealed that this response was strictly dependent on CD28 costimulation. Significant listeria-specific CD8(+) T cell responses also occurred in all intestinal tissues analyzed after i.v. infection or after DNA vaccination, indicating that the accumulation of listeria-specific CD8(+) T cells in these tissues only partially depends on local antigen presentation and inflammation. (C) 2003 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.