Bim-mediated deletion of antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells in patients unable to control HBV infection
J. Clin. Invest. A. Ross Lopes, et al. 118:1835 doi:10.1172/JCI33402 [Go to this article.]

Figure 2
Bim expression is increased at the protein level in HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells from patients with CHB. (A) Representative example of Bim expression in HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells from resolved and CHB patients (left and middle) and the cumulative data (right). Bim expression in resolved responses was similar to background levels with an isotype control. (B) Representative example of Bim expression in total CD8⁺ T cells (T) and HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells (H) in a patient with CHB (left and middle) and cumulative data (right). (C) Correlation between viral load and Bim expression in HBV-specific CD8⁺ T responses in CHB patients (left) and relative levels of Bim expression in resolved (R) and CHB patients segregated according to eAg status (right). (D) Representative example of Bim expression directly ex vivo in HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells in resolved and CHB individuals (left and middle) and cumulative data (right). (E) Bim expression directly ex vivo in tetramer-positive HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cell responses from resolved and CHB patients. Shown are examples of tetramer and Bim staining (left and middle) and summary data for all responses (right). Significance testing of all cumulative data by Mann-Whitney test. (F) Bim expression directly ex vivo in HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells quantified over the course of acute HBV infection (using overlapping peptides in HLA-A2^– patient R17 and using HLA-A2/HBV tetramers in 2 HLA-A2⁺ patients, R7 and R13). Bim levels in HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells are plotted against HBV DNA, with serology and ALT in the acute and resolved (right of dotted line) phases indicated below. Error bars indicate mean ± SD.