Gene expression of CD4+ T cells in response to antigen persisting at different doses for different times

Chronic infections and cancer can induce a dsyfunctional immune response which cannot clear the cause of disease. We asked how antigen persistence alone affects T helper cell reactivity v. exhaustion and compared the gene expression of CD4+ T cell responding to antigen persisting at different levels for different periods of time. We used microarrays to detail gene expression underlying T helper cell dysfunctionality evolving in response to different levels of antigen at two timepoints. Allogenically marked AND TCR transgenic CD4+ T cells were adoptively transferred into recipients in which the presentation of a moth cytochrome c epitope can be regulated by doxycycline.