Reduced Foxp3 protein expression is associated with inflammatory disease during human t lymphotropic virus type 1 Infection.
The Foxp3 protein is a specific marker of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T (T(reg)) cells, and its expression is critical to their development and function. Several studies have demonstrated the dysregulation of Foxp3 expression during human inflammatory diseases. Infection with human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is associated with the development of a number of inflammatory conditions, including myelopathy, although the majority of individuals who are infected with HTLV-1 remain asymptomatic. To examine the role played by T(reg) cells in the development of inflammatory disease during HTLV-1 infection, we examined Foxp3 expression by flow cytometry. Our analysis showed that HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis was associated with a lower expression (compared with that in asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers and healthy donors) of Foxp3 in peripheral-blood leukocytes. In individuals infected with HTLV-1, Foxp3 expression was inversely correlated with HTLV-1 tax proviral DNA load. These results suggest that impaired Foxp3 expression may contribute to the development of inflammatory disease during HTLV-1 infection.
Oh
Unsong
U
Viral Immunology Section, Neuroimmunology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Grant
Christian
C
Griffith
Caitlin
C
Fugo
Kazunori
K
Takenouchi
Norihiro
N
Jacobson
Steven
S
D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016355:Genes, pX; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015493:Paraparesis, Tropical Spastic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / Q000032:analysis; D019562:Viral Load
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D004279:DNA, Viral; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D018127:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7