As titled, all of them are listed as activated T cell surface markers, when staining the in vitro but not in vivo activated T cells by CD3 & CD28 Ab, I don't know the rationale for choosing which one as an indicator of T cell activation.
For what I've known, CD25 as an early-priming maker, CD69 as an effluent marker, which leads to T cells efflux from LNs.
Could anyone show me the difference between them? Or the gating strategy? Or even in vivo infection model like L.M. or LCMV?
There are many articles online to get an idea about the staining and differentiation of activation markers on T cells check some below:
https://www.jimmunol.org/content/161/10/5338
https://www.pnas.org/content/115/10/2455
Article Therapeutic Use of a Selective S1P1 Receptor Modulator Pones...
CD69 appears early during the cell stimulation and disappear also fast. As I remember, during the LCMV infection it may be expressed early, first few days.
CD44 is a memory T-cell differentiation marker. If the cell became memory phenotype CD44 is kept for lifelong. The amount of CD44hi CD8 T-cells may reach to 90% during the peak of the infection (day 8). Then they will gradually contract.
CD25 is IL2 receptors, also appear quite early.
So, if you use in vitro stimulation, they all will appear quite fast and all mean activation :)
If you use in vivo infection, then CD69 will appear fast, and disappear fast, while CD44 will be kept for very long. Haven`t checked CD25.
CD69 is an early stage marker of T cells activation.
CD25 is late stage marker of T cells activation.
CD44 along with CD62L is an ideal marker to differentiate between naive and activated T cells.