Repopulation of the peripheral T cell pool by recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) after sepsis.

B6.Rag2-GFP mice were injected with PBS i.p. (sham) or subjected to sepsis induction (PCI) or sepsis induction plus IL-7 treatment (PCI + IL-7). At the indicated time points between d3 and d113 after PCI, at least 6 mice per group were sacrificed and spleen cells analyzed by flow cytometry. (A) RTEs within the CD4+ or CD8+ lymphocyte population were identified by their expression of green fluorescent protein. (B, C) Longitudinal analysis of numbers and frequencies of RTEs among (B) T cells or RTEs among (C) cytotoxic T cells.