V(β)8⁺ CD4^- CD8^- subpopulation induced by staphylococcal enterotoxin B

Injection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEE) into BALB/c mice induced the depletion of V(β)8⁺ T-cells which were either V(β)8⁺ CD4⁺ or V(β)8⁺ CD8⁺ cells. The CD8 molecule on V(β)⁺ CD8⁺ cells was found to decrease at 72 h after SEE treatment while the V(β)8 molecule on V(β)8⁺ cells or CD4 molecule on V(β)8⁺ CD4⁺ cells was not affected. Furthermore, a subpopulation of V(β)8⁺ CD4^- CD8^- T-cells was also induced after SEE-priming. This subpopulation can be found in spleen or lymph nodes. It was small in size and constituted the major part of V(β)8⁺ cells in lymph nodes at 72 h after SEB-priming. Some of the V(β)8⁺ CD4^- CD8^- T-cells might be autoreactive because they could be stimulated to proliferative by syngenic mitomycin C-treated splenocytes.