Evolution of the CD8 T-cell repertoire during infections

CD8 T cells exist in a dynamic network whose repertoire remains static in t he absence of infection but changes in the presence of foreign antigens. In dividuals each have unique T-cell repertoires that continually evolve in th e presence of antigen and of cross-reactive heterologous antigens, and home ostatic forces drive deletions in T-cell memory pools to accommodate the en try of new memory cells into a finite immune system. (C) 2000 Editions scie ntifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.