Ag-specific CD8⁺ T cells correlates with the presence of amastigotes in the thymus of <i>T</i>. <i>cruzi</i>-infected mice.

WT mice were infected with T. cruzi (Tulahuen) and thymic cell suspensions were obtained 14 days post-infection. (A-C) Adherent cells were stained with an antiserum from a chagasic patient and subsequently with an anti-human IgG conjugated with Alexafluor 488. Shown in green are the T. cruzi parasites, in red (Alexafluor 546) CD11b positive cells and in blue are the nuclei labeled with DAPI. Scale 10 μm. (D) Thymi from T. cruzi-infected (Tulahuen) WT mice or (E-F) thymi from control or T. cruzi-infected (Tulahuen) OT-I mice were obtained and surface stained with anti-CD4, anti-CD8, anti-CD44, anti-Vβ5 and an OVA-tetramer or TSKB20-tetramer as described in Material and Methods. Representative dot plots from 2 independent experiments with 5 mice per group are shown.