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Regulatory T cells and viral liver disease
Author(s) -
Alatrakchi Nadia,
Koziel Margaret
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of viral hepatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1365-2893
pISSN - 1352-0504
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2893.2009.01081.x
Subject(s) - foxp3 , immunology , biology , il 2 receptor , immune system , population , viral hepatitis , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis b , virology , liver disease , cytotoxic t cell , t cell , virus , medicine , genetics , in vitro , environmental health , biochemistry
Summary. Important questions remain on the role of T cells in progression of hepatitis virus‐mediated liver pathogenesis: are T cells ‘Good or Bad’? How could one maintain a beneficial balance, in which regulatory T‐cell (Treg) populations might play an important role? Treg are a heterogeneous population of cells, including the classical CD4+CD25+ subset expressing the transcription factor Foxp3, CD4 T cells secreting IL‐10 (Tr1) or TGF‐ β (Th3), but also some CD8 T cells, double negative T cells and γδ T cells. The role of Treg in viral hepatitis, particularly HBV and HCV, seems to range from suppressing T‐cell responses directed against hepatitis viruses to down‐regulating the immune responses causing the liver damage. Questions also remain unresolved on which Treg populations are important and how to establish a beneficial balance, mostly due to the difficulties in studying the heterogeneous Treg populations but also due to the problem accessing liver, the principal target of hepatitis viruses. Here, we will review progress to date on understanding Treg populations in regard to viral hepatitis.