title: Natural regulatory T cells in infectious disease.
abstract: This review discusses the control exerted by natural CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells (natural T(reg) cells) during infectious processes. Natural T(reg) cells may limit the magnitude of effector responses, which may result in failure to adequately control infection. However, natural T(reg) cells also help limit collateral tissue damage caused by vigorous antimicrobial immune responses. We describe here various situations in which the balance between natural T(reg) cells and effector immune functions influences the outcome of infection and discuss how manipulating this equilibrium might be exploited therapeutically.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Immunology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA. ybelkaid@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Yasmine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Belkaid
authors.forename: Barry T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Rouse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D051379:Mice; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2