Individual Epitope-Specific CD8 T Cell Immune Responses Are Shaped Differently during Chronic Viral Infection.

A hallmark in chronic viral infections are exhausted antigen-specific CD8 T cell responses and the inability of the immune system to eliminate the virus. Currently, there is limited information on the variability of epitope-specific T cell exhaustion within one immune response and the relevance to the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. The aim of this study was a comprehensive analysis and comparison of three lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) epitope-specific CD8 T cell responses (NP396, GP33 and NP205) in a chronic setting with immune intervention, e.