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CD4 + CD25 + FOXP3 + regulatory T cells from human thymus and cord blood suppress antigen‐specific T cell responses
Author(s) -
Wing Kajsa,
Larsson Pia,
Sandström Kerstin,
Lundin Samuel B.,
SuriPayer Elisabeth,
Rudin Anna
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2005.02186.x
Subject(s) - il 2 receptor , foxp3 , cord blood , biology , t cell , immunology , endocrinology , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , immune system
Summary Activation of self‐reactive T cells in healthy adults is prevented by the presence of autoantigen‐specific CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells (CD25 + T reg ). To explore the functional development of autoantigen‐reactive CD25 + T reg in humans we investigated if thymic CD25 + T reg from children aged 2 months to 11 years and cord blood CD25 + T reg are able to suppress proliferation and cytokine production induced by specific antigens. While CD4 + CD25 − thymocytes proliferated in response to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), tetanus toxoid and beta‐lactoglobulin, suppression of proliferation was not detected after the addition of thymic CD25 + T reg . However, CD25 + T reg inhibited interferon (IFN)‐γ production induced by MOG, which indicates that MOG‐reactive CD25 + T reg are present in the thymus. In contrast, cord blood CD25 + T reg suppressed both proliferation and cytokine production induced by MOG. Both cord blood and thymic CD25 + T reg expressed FOXP3 mRNA. However, FOXP3 expression was lower in cord blood than in thymic CD25 + T cells. Further characterization of cord blood CD25 + T cells revealed that FOXP3 was highly expressed by CD25 + CD45RA + cells while CD25 + CD45RA − cells contained twofold less FOXP3 , which may explain the lower expression level of FOXP3 in cord blood CD25 + T cells compared to thymic CD25 + T cells. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that low numbers of MOG‐reactive functional CD25 + T reg are present in normal thymus, but that the suppressive ability of the cells is broader in cord blood. This suggests that the CD25 + T reg may be further matured in the periphery after being exported from the thymus.