title: CD4 T Follicular Helper Cells and HIV Infection: Friends or Enemies?
abstract: Follicular T helper (Tfh) cells, a subset of CD4 T lymphocytes, are essential for memory B cell activation, survival, and differentiation and assist B cells in the production of antigen-specific antibodies. Work performed in recent years pointed out the importance of Tfh cells in the context of HIV and SIV infections. The importance of tissue distribution of Tfh is also an important point since their frequency differs between peripheral blood and lymph nodes compared to the spleen, the primary organ for B cell activation, and differentiation. Our recent observations indicated an early and profound loss of splenic Tfh cells. The role of transcriptional activator and repressor factors that control Tfh differentiation is also discussed in the context of HIV/SIV infection. Because Tfh cells are important for B cell differentiation and antibody production, accelerating the Tfh responses early during HIV/SIV infection could be promising as novel immunotherapeutic approach or alternative vaccine strategies. However, because Tfh cells are infected during the HIV/SIV infection and represent a reservoir, this may interfere with HIV vaccine strategy. Thus, Tfh represent the good and bad guys during HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University , Québec, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Félicien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moukambi
authors.affiliation: CNRS FR3636, Faculty of Medecine des Saint-Pères, Paris Descartes University , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Vasco
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: CNRS FR3636, Faculty of Medecine des Saint-Pères, Paris Descartes University , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Yasmina
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fortier
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University , Québec, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Henintsoa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rabezanahary
authors.affiliation: CNRS FR3636, Faculty of Medecine des Saint-Pères, Paris Descartes University , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Chloé
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borde
authors.affiliation: CNRS FR3636, Faculty of Medecine des Saint-Pères, Paris Descartes University , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krust
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University , Québec, QC , Canada.
authors.forename: Guadalupe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andreani
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silvestre
authors.affiliation: Tissue Analysis Core, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, MD , USA.
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Petrovas
authors.affiliation: CNRS FR3636, Faculty of Medecine des Saint-Pères, Paris Descartes University , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laforge
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada; CNRS FR3636, Faculty of Medecine des Saint-Pères, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Estaquier
keywords: AIDS; B cell; CD4; SIV; Tfh; pathogen; reservoir; vaccine