Coimmunization with IL-15 plasmid enhances the longevity of CD8 T cells induced by DNA encoding hepatitis B virus core antigen

Table 1 Total CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-cells detected in spleen and PBMC from mice co-immunized with pHBc144 and pIL-15 following DNA immunization

Group	d 8		d 14		d 30		d 90		booster d 90
	CD4	CD8	CD4	CD8	CD4	CD8	CD4	CD8	CD4	CD8
A Spleen
pIL-15+pHBc144	13.35 ± 1.00	8.31 ± 2.08	17.89 ± 0.83	15.15 ± 0.88	22.02 ± 2.12	12.63 ± 0.51	20.23 ± 3.07	23.41 ± 0.65	11.76 ± 2.36	12.10 ± 0.59
pcDNA3+pHBc144	14.08 ± 1.32	8.24 ± 1.08	16.69 ± 2.21	14.75 ± 0.87	19.56 ± 1.23	14.58 ± 0.98	19.77 ± 3.61	22.37 ± 1.53	12.03 ± 2.50	13.43 ± 1.93
pIL-15	14.43	10.12	14.69 ± 2.25	10.31 ± 1.94	19.76 ± 1.41	13.38 ± 1.53	19.04 ± 1.75	15.72 ± 3.08	11.08 ± 0.21	12.76 ± 2.55
B PBMC
pIL-15+pHBc144	13.05 ± 1.75	7.42 ± 1.41	15.93 ± 2.95	10.67 ± 1.87	19.10 ± 3.70	10.06 ± 0.47	16.94 ± 1.19	8.61 ± 1.20	8.66 ± 0.13	12.78 ± 1.76
pcDNA3+pHBc144	15.49 ± 4.77	8.35 ± 1.84	18.30 ± 3.56	12.24 ± 1.27	22.97 ±3.17	12.79 ± 4.39	7.50 ± 0.58	7.18 ± 2.93	10.09 ± 5.19	16.20 ± 1.48
pcDNA3+pHBc144	14.85	8.92	17.98 ± 3.20	7.68 ± 3.46	21.70 ± 5.44	12.51 ± 1.16	12.58 ± 0.66	9.43 ± 1.36	8.36 ± 3.53	10.34 ± 2.09

Mice were injected with 100 μg of pIL-15 or pHBc144 or both pIL-15 and pHBc144 plasmids intramuscularly. Single-cell suspensions were prepared. Cells were stained with anti-CD4-APC and anti-CD8-PE. The stained cells were analyzed with a FACScan. The data from each group at each time point represent the mean ± SD (n = 3). (A) the total CD4 and CD8 in the spleen. (B) the total CD4 and CD8 in the PBMC.