HUMAN BLOOD T AND NK CELL IN VITRO STIMULATION REVEALS A SIMILAR ACTIVATION PHENOTYPE THAT RESEMBLES EARLY ACTIVATION STAGES DURING ACUTE VIRUS INFECTION
The complexity of T and NK-cell responses needs a great deal of control in the way these cells respond to
stimulation. This is made by a precise regulation of gene expression leading to specific changes of
membrane proteins, in order to acquire their full cytotoxic or immunological mediators secreting potential.
The immunophenotypic changes occurring in-vivo on blood T and NK-cells in patients with acute and chronic
infections have been previously characterized in detail, defining early and late activation related phenotypes,
but in-vitro experiments are needed to define the earliest activation stages
