Foxp3+CD4+CD25+ T cells control virus-specific memory T cells in chimpanzees that recovered from hepatitis C. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) poses a global health problem because it readily establishes persistent infection and a vaccine is not available. CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells have been implicated in HCV persistence because their frequency is increased in the blood of HCV-infected patients and their in vitro depletion results in increased IFN-gamma production by HCV-specific T cells. Studying a well-characterized cohort of 16 chimpanzees, the sole animal model for HCV infection, we here demonstrate that the frequency of Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (T(Regs)) and the extent of suppression was as high in spontaneously HCV-recovered chimpanzees as in persistently HCV-infected chimpanzees. Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) T(Regs) suppressed IFN-gamma production, expansion, and activation-induced cell death of HCV-specific T cells after recovery from HCV infection and in persistent HCV infection. Thus, T(Reg) cells control HCV-specific T cells not only in persistent infection but also after recovery, where they may regulate memory T-cell responses by controlling their activation and preventing apoptosis. However, Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) T(Reg) cells of both HCV-recovered and HCV-infected chimpanzees differed from Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+)T(Reg) cells of HCV-naive chimpanzees in increased IL-2 responsiveness and lower T-cell receptor excision circle content, implying a history of in vivo proliferation. This result suggests that HCV infection alters the population of Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) T(Reg) cells.

publication date

  • February 14, 2006

Research

keywords

  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Hepacivirus
  • Hepatitis C
  • Immunologic Memory
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC1895795

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 33744460201

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1182/blood-2005-09-3903

PubMed ID

  • 16478885

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 107

issue

  • 11