Full activation of CD4+ T cells early during sepsis requires specific antigen

During sepsis, CD4 T cells express activation markers within the first 24 h. In the present study, the mechanisms of T-cell activation and its consequences were addressed in an acute peritonitis model in mice. The response of CD4+ T cells to sepsis induction was compared between OTII mice, characterized by ovalbumin-specific T-cell receptor-transgenic T cells, and C57BL/6 controls (wild type [WT] mice). Because ovalbumin was absent during peritonitis, the OTII CD4+ T cells could not be activated by canonical antigen recognition. In both OTII and WT control mice, CD4+ T effector cells and CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) expressed the activation marker CD69 early after sepsis onset. However, full activation with upregulation of CD25 and proliferation took place only in the presence of the antigen. Besides this, the fraction of Tregs was lower in OTII than that in WT mice. Sepsis mortality was increased in OTII mice. Our data show that, in sepsis, partial activation of CD4+ T cells is induced by a T-cell receptor-independent pathway, whereas full stimulation and proliferation require a specific antigen. Antigen-dependent T-cell effector functions as well as Treg activity may contribute to sepsis survival.