Brucella melitensis is an intracellular bacteria causing disease in humans as an incidental host. The infection initiates as acute flu-like symptoms and may transform into a chronic cyclic infection. This cyclic infection may be partly due to the bacteria’s ability to persist within antigen presenting cells and evade the CD8 + T cell response over long periods of time. This research aims to characterize the immune response of the acute and chronic forms of brucellosis in the murine liver and spleen. We also sought to determine if the exhaustion of the CD8 + T cells was a permanent or temporary change. This was accomplished by using adoptive transfer of acutely infected CD8 + T cells and chronically infected CD8 + T cells into a naïve host followed by re-infection. The histological examination presented supports the concept that exhausted T-cells can regain function through evidence of granulomatous inflammation after virulent challenge in a new host environment.

布鲁氏菌是一种细胞内细菌，作为偶然宿主在人类中引起疾病​​。感染以急性流感样症状开始，并可能转变为慢性循环感染。这种循环感染可能部分是由于细菌能够在抗原呈递细胞内持续存在并长时间逃避 CD8 + T 细胞反应。本研究旨在表征小鼠肝脏和脾脏中急性和慢性布鲁氏菌病的免疫反应。我们还试图确定 CD8 + T 细胞的耗竭是永久性的还是暂时的变化。这是通过将急性感染的 CD8 + T 细胞和慢性感染的 CD8 + T 细胞过继转移到幼稚宿主中，然后再感染来实现的。