CD4 T cell responses are key to effective control of HCV infection. However, their precise mechanisms of action and the molecular programs leading to effective T help versus CD4 T cell failure remain elusive. Direct visualization of HCV-specific CD4 T cells using HLA class II tetramers holds the promise to better define the function and phenotype of these cells and to isolate them for further molecular analysis. Here we describe how to utilize peptide-MHC (pMHC) class II tetramers in multicolor flow cytometry to define the expression of molecules on the surface and within HCV-specific CD4 T cells, how to analyze HCV-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells in the same tube, and how to sort live HCV-specific CD4 T cells as single cells or T cell populations for further analysis by RNAseq or other methods.
Keywords: CD4; CD8; Cell sorting; Flow cytometry; HCV-specific T cells; Intracellular staining; Pentamer; Peptide-MHC; Tetramer; Transcription factor.