Homeostatic expansion and phenotypic conversion of human T cells depend on peripheral interactions with APCs

Immune recovery in lymphopenic hosts depends largely on homeostatic peripheral expansion, especially when thymopoiesis is insufficient, as is often the case in human adults. Although it has been well studied in mice, the study of homeostatic peripheral expansion of human T cells has been limited by the lack of an appropriate in vivo model. In this study, we use T cell-deficient humanized mice and an adoptive transfer approach to demonstrate that two distinct proliferative responses of autologous T cells occur in vivo in a lymphopenic setting. Human naive CD4 and CD8 T cells that undergo rapid proliferation acquire a memory-like phenotype and the ability to rapidly produce IFN-gamma, whereas those undergoing slow proliferation retain naive phenotypic and functional characteristics. Recovery of both populations depends on the extent of human non-T cell chimerism in the periphery of recipient humanized mice. Furthermore, memory conversion of CD4 and CD8 T cells correlates with the level of human CD14+ and CD19+ chimerism in recipient mice, respectively, suggesting that different types of APCs support memory conversion of CD4 and CD8 T cells. Because lymphopenia affects clinical outcomes, this model, which will allow detailed investigation of the effects of lymphopenia in patients, is of clinical significance.