Changes in activation status and telomere length after resolution of AIM.

The activation status of CD4⁺, CD8⁺, and tetramer (A2-GLC)–positive lymphocyte subsets in acute AIM patients and 12 months after infection (A). Isolated PBMCs from these patients with acute AIM and from the same patients 12 months after infection were stained for CD8-RPE-Cy5 and A2-GLC-PE or CD4-RPE-Cy5 in combination with MHC class II–FITC. The cells were gated as described in Figure 1B, which excludes blast cells. Percentages represent cells found in the gates set according to isotype-matched control antibodies. The results are representative of MHC class II expression in 4 different patients studied during AIM and after resolution of the infection. Telomere length in tetramer–positive lymphocytes in 7 AIM patients and between 5 months and 14 years after follow-up were investigated by 2-color flow-FISH (B). Patients 1 and 2 were investigated 12 months after AIM, patient 3 was investigated after 8 months, patient 4 was investigated after 5 months, patient 5 was investigated after 15 months, and patients 6 and 7 were investigated 14 years after the infection. Isolated PBMCs were stained for A2-GLC-CY5 and telomeric PNA-FITC probe. The results are expressed as MFI for the FITC channel, obtained by viable cell gating and tetramer positivity. Acute patients, ▪; follow-ups, ■. For individual patients, each acute and follow-up sample was assessed at the same time.