ABSTRACT
Enumeration and characterization of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes are tedious and indirect. We quantitated antigen-specific CD8+ T cells during acute and secondary stages of HSV infection using intracellular gamma interferon production upon stimulation with virus or immunodominant peptide. Results show a substantial increase in the number of CD8+ T cells which was otherwise underestimated with the conventional limiting dilution analysis.