HIV-1-driven regulatory T-cell accumulation in lymphoid tissues is associated with disease progression in HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Regulatory T (Treg) cells accumulate in the lymphoid tissues of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected individuals, contributing to the inability of the immune system to control virus replication. We investigate here Treg-cell numbers and functional markers (FOXP3, CTLA-4, IDO, and TGF-β1) in lymphoid tissues from untreated infected hosts with progressive or nonprogressive disease (HIV-infected humans and simian immunodeficiency virus [SIV]–infected macaques). We found that increased numbers of FOXP3⁺ T cells as well as increased expression of Treg-cell–associated functional markers were detected only during progressive disease. Such increases were not correlated with immune activation. Of importance, a high-perforin/FOXP3 ratio was associated with nonprogressive disease, suggesting that the immune control of virus replication represents a balance between cell-mediated immune responses and Treg-cell–mediated counter regulation of such responses. Furthermore, using an in vitro model of Treg-cell–HIV interactions, we showed that exposure of Treg cells to HIV selectively promoted their survival via a CD4-gp120–dependent pathway, thus providing an underlying mechanism for the accumulation of Treg cells in infected hosts with active viral replication. Considered together, our findings imply that therapeutic manipulation of Treg-cell number and/or function could improve immune control of HIV infection.