Re-activation of EBV lytic epitope (RAK)–specific CD45RA⁺ T cells with RAK peptide.

CD8⁺, CD45RA⁺ T cells (97% purity) were isolated from the peripheral blood of a person who recovered from AIM 20 years earlier. Cells were stimulated with RAK peptide-pulsed irradiated APC. On days 0 (A, D, G), 4 (B, E, H), and 7 (C, F, I), the cells were stained with anti-CD8 mAb and B8-RAK tetramer (A-C, respectively). CD45 isoform expression was determined on the RAK-specific cells on the same days (D, E, F, respectively). The extent of cell cycling was determined at the same time by reactivity with Ki67 antibody (G-I, respectively). Similar results were obtained in a second identical experiment using blood from a different donor.