title: Characterization of the Treg Response in the Hepatitis B Virus Hydrodynamic Injection Mouse Model.
abstract: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in counter-regulating effector T cell responses in many infectious diseases. However, they can also contribute to the development of T cell dysfunction and pathogen persistence in chronic infections. Tregs have been reported to suppress virus-specific T cell responses in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection of human patients as well as in HBV animal models. However, the phenotype and expansion of Tregs has so far only been investigated in other infections, but not in HBV. We therefore performed hydrodynamic injections of HBV plasmids into mice and analyzed the Treg response in the spleen and liver. Absolute Treg numbers significantly increased in the liver but not the spleen after HBV injection. The cells were natural Tregs that surprisingly did not show any activation or proliferation in response to the infection. However, they were able to suppress effector T cell responses, as selective depletion of Tregs significantly increased HBV-specific CD8+ T cell responses and accelerated viral antigen clearance. The data implies that natural Tregs infiltrate the liver in HBV infection without further activation or expansion but are still able to interfere with T cell mediated viral clearance.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Dietze
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schimmer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Freya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kretzmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Junzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Baoju
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Mengji
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dittmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Dongliang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology