Memory Phenotype CD4 T Cells Undergoing Rapid, Nonburst-Like, Cytokine-Driven Proliferation Can Be Distinguished from Antigen-Experienced Memory Cells

Memory phenotype (CD44(bright), CD25(negative)) CD4 spleen and lymph node T cells (MP cells) proliferate rapidly in normal or germ-free donors, with BrdU uptake rates of 6% to 10% per day and Ki-67 positivity of 18% to 35%. The rapid proliferation of MP cells stands in contrast to the much slower proliferation of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)-specific memory cells that divide at rates ranging from <1% to 2% per day over the period...