Increased SIV-specific expression of IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α cytokine responses in CD8⁺ T cells from CD8⁺ and CD20⁺ lymphocyte-depleted SIV-infected AGMs. Intracellular expression of IFN-γ (A,D,G), IL-2 (B,E,H), and TNF-α (C,F,I) in SIV_sab Gag and Env peptide pool-stimulated CD8⁺ T cells. Freshly isolated PBMCs were stimulated for 9 hours at 37°C in the presence of either Env or Gag peptide pools. The intracellular staining in CD8⁺ T cells stimulated with Gag or Env peptide pools is shown for control Ab-treated AGMs in black and for CD8⁺ and CD20⁺ lymphocyte-depleted AGMs in red (A-F). (G-I) Median responses of the 6 control AGMs in green and of the 6 CD8⁺ and CD20⁺ lymphocyte-depleted AGMs in blue. *Statistically significant difference between the control and CD8⁺ and CD20⁺ lymphocyte-depleted group at the indicated time points (Mann-Whitney test, P ≤ .05). Responses were considered positive if their value was greater than 2 times the SD of the mean of the media control wells. All values were background corrected using the media controls. Responses and background were determined separately for the different cytokines. p.i. indicates postinfection.