Sequential analysis of T cells in the liver during murine listerial infection

Phenotypes and functions of T cells in the liver were studied after an i.p. inoculation with viable Listeria monocytogenes in mice. T cells in the liver of untreated C3H/HeN mice (C3H; H-2(k), Mls-2^a contain Thy-1.2⁺TCR- αβ⁺ cells as a majority and Thy-1.2⁺TCR-γδ⁺ cells and Thy-1.2^-TCR- γδ⁺ cells as minorities. The liver of untreated C3H mice did not contain T cells expressing Vβ3 and Vβ11, which are potentially autoreactive against self-superantigens of Mls-2^a and Dvb1, respectively. On days 3 to 6 after infection, Thy-1.2^-CD4(low)TCR-αβ⁺ T cells or Thy-1.2^-TCR-γδ⁺ T cells increased significantly in number and proportion in the liver whereas T cells with these phenotypes were hardly detected in the spleen, lymph nodes, peripheral blood, and peritoneal cavity during the course of the infection. The Thy-1.2^-CD4(low)TCR-αβ T cells contained Vβ3 or Vβ11-bearing cells in high frequencies. The potentially autoreactive Vβ3- or Vβ11-bearing T cells disappeared from the liver on day 7 after infection. Furthermore, the Vβ3⁺ and Vβ11⁺ cells but not Vβ8⁺ cells disappeared after culture for 24 h at 37°C. In vitro stimulation of liver T cells using anti-Vβ11 mAb showed no proliferative response. These results suggest that the potentially autoreactive clones with Thy-1.2^-CD4(low) phenotypes, which increased in number after listerial infection, may be anergized after interaction with self-Ag and may be programmed to die. These potentially autoreactive clones induced in the liver of Listeria-infected mice may not be functionally relevant to the host defense against Listeria.