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FOXP3 expressing CD127lo CD4+ T cells inversely correlate with CD38+ CD8+ T cell activation levels in primary HIV‐1 infection
Author(s) -
Ndhlovu Lishomwa C.,
Loo Christopher P.,
Spotts Gerald,
Nixon Douglas F.,
Hecht Frederick M.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1189/jlb.0507281
Subject(s) - foxp3 , il 2 receptor , biology , immune system , immunology , interleukin 7 receptor , t cell , cd38 , regulatory t cell , population , cd8 , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , stem cell , environmental health , cd34
During the course of HIV‐1 infection, the status of immune activation has been determined to be a powerful indicator of disease progression. The immune system has adopted self‐regulatory mechanisms to counterbalance undesirable immune responses. CD25+CD4+ T regulatory (Treg) cells that express the transcription regulator, forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), play an important role in this immunosuppression. Using a combination of Treg cell discriminatory markers (FOXP3, CD25, CD127), we predicted that an expansion of Treg cell subsets would negatively correlate with immune activation during the early stages of HIV‐1 infection. We report that FOXP3+CD127lo expressing CD4+ T cells increases in primary HIV‐1 infection over time. Furthermore, the FOXP3+CD127lo CD4+ T cells may, in fact, reduce the levels of T cell activation following primary infection. It is interesting that the positive correlation between FOXP3+CD127lo CD4+ and CD25+CD127lo CD4+ T cells noted in HIV‐uninfected persons is not only lost but may also be reversed in early, chronic HIV‐1 infection. Unlike FOXP3+CD127lo CD4+, the level of FOXP3+CD25+CD127lo CD4+ T cells did not correlate with T cell activation, suggesting that these cells were not effective in reducing T cell activation. These observations suggest that different Treg populations may have different effects on reducing immune activation in HIV‐1 infection and that the FOXP3+CD127lo CD4+ T cell population may be particularly important in limiting immune activation.