Human T cells express CD25 and Foxp3 upon activation and exhibit effector/memory phenotypes without any regulatory/suppressor function.
BACKGROUND
Foxp3 has been suggested to be a standard marker for murine Tregs whereas its role as marker for human Tregs is controversial. While some reports have shown that human Foxp3+ T cells had no regulatory function others have shown their role in the inhibition of T cell proliferation.


METHODS
T cell activation was performed by means of brayostatin-1/ionomycin (B/I), mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), and CD3/CD28 activation. T cell proliferation was performed using BrdU and CFSE staining. Flow cytometry was performed to determine Foxp3 expression, cell proliferation, viabilities and phenotype analyses of T cells.


RESULTS
Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressed Foxp3 upon activation in vitro. Expression of Foxp3 remained more stable in CD4+CD25+ T cells compared to that in CD8+CD25+ T cells. The CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells expressed CD44 and CD62L, showing their effector and memory phenotypes. Both FoxP3- responder T cells and CD4+FoxP3+ T cells underwent proliferation upon CD3/CD28 activation.


CONCLUSIONS
Expression of Foxp3 does not necessarily convey regulatory function in human CD4+CD25+ T cells. Increased FoxP3 on CD44+ effector and CD44+CD62L+ memory T cells upon stimulation suggest the activation-induced regulation of FoxP3 expression.
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center, Richmond, USA. mkmieciak@vcu.edu
Maciej
M
Kmieciak
Madhu
M
Gowda
Laura
L
Graham
Kamar
K
Godder
Harry D
HD
Bear
Francesco M
FM
Marincola
Masoud H
MH
Manjili
D000818:Animals; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D010641:Phenotype; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000378:metabolism*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism*
C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit