CD4 regulatory T cells augment HIV-1 expression of polarized M1 and M2 monocyte derived macrophages.
Previous in vitro studies have shown that the HIV-1 virus can alter the cytokine/chemokine profile of polarized macrophages which may lead to their increased susceptibility to viral infection. Here, we found that M2 monocyte derived macrophages (MDM) were significantly more permissive to productive infection by R5-tropic HIV-1 strains, including transmitted founder (T/F) viruses, than M1 MDM. Previous in vitro studies by our lab showed that regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress HIV-1 infection in non-Treg CD4 T cells. Here, we investigated potential inhibitory effects of Tregs on HIV-1 infection of polarized MDM. We found that Tregs significantly increased HIV-1 infection in M1 and M2 MDM via a mechanism that was cell contact dependent. These findings suggest a potential role for Tregs in HIV-1 infection of tissue resident macrophages of M1 and M2 phenotype, which may contribute to the establishment and pathogenesis of HIV-1 disease.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Children's Hospital of Alabama, Children's Park Place, Suite 210, 1601 4th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233, United States.
Tanya O
TO
Robinson
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Children's Hospital of Alabama, Children's Park Place, Suite 210, 1601 4th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233, United States.
Mingce
M
Zhang
Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States; Center for AIDS Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States.
Christina
C
Ochsenbauer
Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United States.
Lesley E
LE
Smythies
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Children's Hospital of Alabama, Children's Park Place, Suite 210, 1601 4th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233, United States. Electronic address: rcron@peds.uab.edu.
Randall Q
RQ
Cron
D000328:Adult; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D019713:Receptors, CCR5 / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D014779:Virus Replication
D016207:Cytokines; D019713:Receptors, CCR5
HIV-1; Macrophages; Tregs