Vaccine-elicited CD4 T cells prevent the deletion of antiviral B cells in chronic infection

Vaccination induced CD4 T cells prevent B cell decimation by turning on a germinal center like transcriptional program. This cellular differentiation is similiar to the one observed when type I interferon receptor-deficient (IFNAR-/-) instead of wt mice are used as recipients. Analysis of KL25HL B cells recovered from LCMV-infected wt mice with either one of two forms of pre-existing CD4 T help (LM61 pre-immunization or SM CD4 T cell adoptive transfer) or no pre-existing T help wt mice (LM immunization) or KL25HL B cells recovered from IFNAR-/- mice without pre-existing CD4 T help.