Expression of CD39 by human peripheral blood CD4+ CD25+ T cells denotes a regulatory memory phenotype.
We have shown that CD39 and CD73 are coexpressed on the surface of murine CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) and generate extracellular adenosine, contributing to Treg immunosuppressive activity. We now describe that CD39, independently of CD73, is expressed by a subset of blood-derived human CD4+ CD25+ CD127lo Treg, defined by robust expression of Foxp3. A further distinct population of CD4+ CD39+ T lymphocytes can be identified, which do not express CD25 and FoxP3 and exhibit the memory effector cellular phenotype. Differential expression of CD25 and CD39 on circulating CD4+ T cells distinguishes between Treg and pathogenic cellular populations that secrete proinflammatory cytokines such as IFNγ and IL-17. These latter cell populations are increased, with a concomitant decrease in the CD4+ CD25+ CD39+ Tregs, in the peripheral blood of patients with renal allograft rejection. We conclude that the ectonucleotidase CD39 is a useful and dynamic lymphocytes surface marker that can be used to identify different peripheral blood T cell-populations to allow tracking of these in health and disease, as in renal allograft rejection.
Immunology Research Centre, Department of Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
K M
KM
Dwyer
D
D
Hanidziar
P
P
Putheti
P A
PA
Hill
S
S
Pommey
J L
JL
McRae
A
A
Winterhalter
G
G
Doherty
S
S
Deaglio
M
M
Koulmanda
W
W
Gao
S C
SC
Robson
T B
TB
Strom
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001081:Apyrase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000276:immunology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000276:immunology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D010641:Phenotype; D011755:Pyrophosphatases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015704:CD4 Antigens; C508717:IL17A protein, human; C508017:IL2RA protein, human; D020381:Interleukin-17; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D011755:Pyrophosphatases; C092064:ectonucleotide pyrophosphohydrolase; D001081:Apyrase; C067869:CD39 antigen