title: Identification of a unique double-negative regulatory T-cell population.
abstract: Regulatory T (Treg) cells represent one of the main mechanisms of regulating self-reactive immune cells. Treg cells are thought to play a role in down-regulating immune responses to self or allogeneic antigens in the periphery. Although the function of Treg cells has been demonstrated in many experimental settings, the precise mechanisms and antigen specificity often remain unclear. In a hepatitis B e antigen-T-cell receptor (HBeAg-TCR) double transgenic mouse model, we observed a phenotypically unique (TCR+)  CD4- /CD8-  CD25(+/-)  GITR(high)  PD-1(high)  FoxP3-) HBeAg-specific population that demonstrates immune regulatory function. This HBeAg-specific double-negative regulatory cell population proliferates vigorously in vitro, in contrast to any other known regulatory population, in an interleukin-2-independent manner.
authors: Vaccine Research Institute of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92121, USA. blee@vrisd.org
authors: Byung O
authors: BO
authors: Lee
authors: Joyce E
authors: JE
authors: Jones
authors: Cory J
authors: CJ
authors: Peters
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Whitacre
authors: Lars
authors: L
authors: Frelin
authors: Janice
authors: J
authors: Hughes
authors: Won-Keun
authors: WK
authors: Kim
authors: David R
authors: DR
authors: Milich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology; D053450:Glucocorticoid-Induced TNFR-Related Protein / Q000276:immunology; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; D053450:Glucocorticoid-Induced TNFR-Related Protein; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; C106544:Tnfrsf18 protein, mouse