Higher proportions of circulating FOXP3+ and CTLA-4+ regulatory T cells are associated with lower fractions of memory CD4+ T cells in infants

J Leukoc Biol. 2011 Dec;90(6):1133-40. doi: 10.1189/jlb.0511244. Epub 2011 Sep 20.

Abstract

In adults, a majority of FOXP3(+) T(regs) expresses CTLA-4, and this costimulatory molecule is essential to control the expansion of other T cells. However, it remains to be investigated whether FOXP3(+) and/or CTLA-4(+) T(regs) are associated with the expression of memory markers and homing receptors on CD4(+) T cells. Thus, in a prospective newborn-infant cohort study, we examined the proportions of FOXP3(+) and CTLA-4(+) T(regs) within the CD4(+)CD25(+) T cell population and the fractions of CD4(+) T cells that expressed CD45RA, CD45RO, HLA-DR, α(4)β(7), CD62L, and CCR4 at several time-points during the first 3 years of life using flow cytometry. With the use of multivariate factor analysis, we found that a high proportion of FOXP3(+) or CTLA-4(+) T(regs) during the first 18 months of life was associated positively with the fraction of T cells that expressed a naïve phenotype (CD45RA and α(4)β(7)) and inversely related to the fraction of T cells that expressed a memory phenotype (CD45RO and CCR4) later in childhood. In conclusion, FOXP3(+) or CTLA-4(+) T(regs) may modulate CD4(+) T cell activation and homing receptor expression in children.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • CTLA-4 Antigen / biosynthesis*
  • CTLA-4 Antigen / blood*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Fetal Blood / cytology
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / blood*
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Memory / immunology*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing / blood
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism

Substances

  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • CTLA4 protein, human
  • FOXP3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Receptors, Lymphocyte Homing