Regulatory and conventional CD4+ T cells show differential effects correlating with PD-1 and B7-H1 expression after immunotherapy

J Immunol. 2008 Mar 1;180(5):2981-8. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.180.5.2981.

Abstract

Recently, our laboratory reported that secondary CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor responses were impaired following successful initial antitumor responses using various immunotherapeutic approaches. Although immunotherapy stimulated significant increases in CD8+ T cell numbers, the number of CD4+ T cells remained unchanged. The current investigation revealed a marked differential expansion of CD4+ T cell subsets. Successful immunotherapy surprisingly resulted in an expansion of CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells concurrent with a reduction of conventional CD4+ T (Tconv) cells, despite the marked antitumor responses. Following immunotherapy, we observed differential up-regulation of PD-1 on the surface of CD4+Foxp3+ Treg cells and CD4+Foxp3- Tconv cells. Interestingly, it was the ligand for PD-1, B7-H1 (PDL-1), that correlated with Tconv cell loss after treatment. Furthermore, IFN-gamma knockout (IFN-gamma-/-) and IFN-gamma receptor knockout (IFN-gammaR-/-) animals lost up-regulation of surface B7-H1 even though PD-1 expression of Tconv cells was not changed, and this correlated with CD4+ Tconv cell increases. These results suggest that subset-specific expansion may contribute to marked shifts in the composition of the T cell compartment, potentially influencing the effectiveness of some immunotherapeutic approaches that rely on IFN-gamma.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / therapeutic use
  • Antigens, Surface / biosynthesis*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / biosynthesis*
  • B7-1 Antigen / biosynthesis*
  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • CD40 Antigens / immunology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy* / methods
  • Interleukin-2 / therapeutic use
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / biosynthesis*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Peptides
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins / therapeutic use
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Antigens, Surface
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • B7-1 Antigen
  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • CD40 Antigens
  • Cd274 protein, mouse
  • Interleukin-2
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Pdcd1 protein, mouse
  • Peptides
  • Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
  • Recombinant Proteins