Level, phenotype and activation status of CD4 super(+)FoxP3 super(+) regulatory T cells in patients chronically infected with human immunodeficiency virus and/or hepatitis C virus

CD4 super(+) regulatory T (T sub(reg)) cells have been involved in impaired immunity and persistence of viral infections. Herein, we report the level, phenotype and activation status of T sub(reg) cells in patients chronically infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and/or hepatitis C virus...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical and experimental immunology 2009-01, Vol.155 (1), p.35-43
Main Authors: Rallon, NI, Lopez, M, Soriano, V, Garcia-Samaniego, J, Romero, M, Labarga, P, Garcia-Gasco, P, Gonzalez-Lahoz, J, Benito, J M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Hepatitis C virus
Human immunodeficiency virus
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Summary:CD4 super(+) regulatory T (T sub(reg)) cells have been involved in impaired immunity and persistence of viral infections. Herein, we report the level, phenotype and activation status of T sub(reg) cells in patients chronically infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV). Expression of CD25, CD45RA, CD27, CD127 and CD38 was assessed on these cells using polychromatic flow cytometry in 20 healthy controls, 20 HIV-monoinfected, 20 HCV-monoinfected and 31 HIV/HCV-co-infected patients. T sub(reg) cells were defined as CD4 super(+)forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) super(+). The percentage of T sub(reg) cells was increased significantly in HIV patients compared with controls. Moreover, there was a significant inverse correlation between CD4 counts and T sub(reg) cell levels. Fewer than 50% of T sub(reg) cells expressed CD25, with differences in terms of CD127 expression between CD25 super(+) and CD25( super(-)) T sub(reg) cells. CD4 super(+)Foxp3 super(+) T sub(reg) cells displayed predominantly a central memory phenotype (CD45RA super(-)CD27 super(+)), without differences between patients and healthy controls. Activated T sub(reg) cells were increased in HIV patients, particularly considering the central memory subset. In summary, HIV infection, but not HCV, induces an up-regulation of highly activated T sub(reg) cells, which increases in parallel with CD4 depletion. Hypothetically, this might contribute to the accelerated course of HCV-related liver disease in HIV-immunosuppressed patients.
ISSN:0009-9104
1365-2249
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2249.2008.03797.x