<i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> acute infection promotes the premature release of CD4⁻CD8⁻ thymocyte cells to the periphery.

<p>BALB/c mice were intrathymically injected with FITC solution or PBS only as a control. After 24 h, lymphoid tissues were harvested and cells stained with anti-CD4 and anti-CD8, for the identification of the specific subsets of recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) by flow cytometry. (<b>A</b>) Graphs represent the absolute numbers of total T cells in the thymus, spleen and subcutaneous lymph nodes (SCLN) during <i>T. cruzi</i> acute infection and uninfected mice. (<b>B</b>) Histograms represent the total numbers of RTEs (FITC⁺ cells) bearing the CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD4⁺CD8⁺ and CD4⁻CD8⁻ T cell phenotype, obtained from the spleen (<b>right panel</b>) and SCLN (<b>left panel</b>), as indicated. Data are shown as means ± SE (n = 6 mice per group). Differences between uninfected and infected mice are significant * (<i>p</i><0.05), ** (<i>p</i><0.01), *** (<i>p</i><0.001).