title: Phenotypic and Functional Analysis of the Suppressive Function of Human Regulatory T Cells.
abstract: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are defined as immunosuppressive cells playing crucial roles in the establishment and maintenance of immune homeostasis. During the course of immune responses, Tregs control the balance between host defense from pathogens and the prevention of excessive immunity. Here, we describe the phenotypic analysis of Tregs, evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy adults, by multiparameter flow cytometry, which allows examining the expression of peculiar markers of Treg subpopulations with different features, and provides efficient discrimination of multiple characteristics at the single-cell level. The same technique may be applied to characterize mononuclear cells extracted from different specimens, including whole blood, biological fluids or solid tissues. The immunoregulatory identity of a certain Treg subpopulation may be functionally verified by performing an in vitro suppression assay described here, testing the capability of Tregs to suppress the activation of responder cells.
authors: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, Rome, 00161, Italy.
authors: Eleonora
authors: E
authors: Timperi
authors: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, Rome, 00161, Italy. vincenzo.barnaba@uniroma1.it.|Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy. vincenzo.barnaba@uniroma1.it.
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: Barnaba
authors: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, Rome, 00161, Italy.|Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Piconese
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: Flow cytometry; In vitro assay; Phenotype; Suppression; Tregs