T lymphocytes of the CD8+ class are critical in delivering here cytotoxic function and in controlling viral and intracellular infections.These cells are "helped" by T lymphocytes of the CD4+ class, which facilitate their activation, clonal expansion, full differentiation and the persistence of memory.In this study we investigated the impact of CD4+ T cells on the location of CD8+ T cells, using antibody-mediated CD4+ T cell depletion and imaging the antigen-driven redistribution of bioluminescent CD8+ T cells in living mice.We documented that CD4+ T cells influence the biodistribution of CD8+ T cells, favoring their localization to abdominal lymph nodes.Flow cytometric analysis revealed that this was associated with an increase click here in the expression of specific integrins.
The presence of CD4+ T cells at the time of initial CD8+ T cell activation also influences their biodistribution in the memory phase.Based on these results, we propose the model that one of the functions of CD4+ T cell "help" is to program the homing potential of CD8+ T cells.