title: Interleukin-10-secreting T cells define a suppressive subset within the HIV-1-specific T-cell population.
abstract: Recent studies have indicated that Treg contribute to the HIV type 1 (HIV-1)-related immune pathogenesis. However, it is not clear whether T cells with suppressive properties reside within the HIV-1-specific T-cell population. Here, PBMC from HIV-1-infected individuals were stimulated with a 15-mer Gag peptide pool, and HIV-1-specific T cells were enriched by virtue of their secretion of IL-10 or IFN-gamma using immunomagnetic cell-sorting. Neither the IL-10-secreting cells nor the IFN-gamma-secreting cells expressed the Treg marker FOXP3, yet the IL-10-secreting cells potently suppressed anti-CD3/CD28-induced CD4(+) as well as CD8(+) T-cell proliferative responses. As shown by intracellular cytokine staining, IL-10- and IFN-gamma-producing T cells represent distinct subsets of the HIV-1-specific T cells. Our data collectively suggest that functionally defined HIV-1-specific T-cell subsets harbor potent immunoregulatory properties that may contribute to HIV-1-associated T-cell dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: The Biotechnology Centre of Oslo and Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Nordic EMBL Partnership, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Eirik A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Torheim
authors.forename: Lishomwa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ndhlovu
authors.forename: Frank O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Pettersen
authors.forename: Trine-Lise
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Aashish R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.forename: Knut M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Torgersen
authors.forename: Dag
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kvale
authors.forename: Douglas F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Nixon
authors.forename: Kjetil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taskén
authors.forename: Einar M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Aandahl
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma