T-Regulatory Cells in Lymph Nodes

Abstract

Because T-regulatory cells (Tregs) can harmfully impair HIV-specific responses or beneficially limit immune activation, we compared the number of Tregs in lymph nodes from 48 HIV+ patients and 106 HIV- subjects. By using a microscope counting grid, we found that the mean ± SD number of Tregs in lymph nodes was 3 times greater in HIV+ males than HIV+ females (23.5 ± 20.7 vs 7.8 ± 7.7; P = .0006) and almost twice as great in HIV+ males than HIV- males (23.5 ± 20.7 vs 13.5 ± 15.5; P = .04). There were fewer Tregs in HIV+ females than in HIV- females (mean ± SD, 7.8 ± 7.7 vs 13.4 ± 13.3; P = .04). HIV+ males compared with HIV+ females had higher viral loads (VLs) and lower peripheral blood (PB) CD4 cell counts (mean ± SD, 239,841 ± 307,494 vs 73,038 ± 146,763 copies/mL and 262 ± 207 vs 466 ± 278/mm(3); P = .02 and P = .01, respectively). Our data show that Tregs in lymph nodes from HIV+ patients are positively correlated with VL and negatively correlated with PB CD4 counts. These findings suggest that Tregs might impair an HIV-specific immune response, which could be modified by sex, or, alternatively, an increased VL causes increased Tregs.

Regulatory and Helper Follicular T Cells and Antibody Avidity to Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Glycoprotein 120

“…The numbers of CD3 + cells expressing Foxp3 in the B-cell follicles was significantly reduced in acute infection (p=0.0022, n=7) and contracted even further in chronic infection (p<0.0001, n=8), when compared to naïve (n=8) animals (Figure 3G and Supplemental Figure 3B). The number of Foxp3 + CD3 + cells in the T-zone did not change, as described by others (Figure 3H) (52). …”

The Role of Surgical Pathology in Guiding Cancer Immunotherapy

“…Methods for the immunohistochemical detection of other immunoregulatory proteinsincluding OX40, LAG-3, and CD137-in FFPE tissue sections have also been optimized, and the regulation of their expression is an area of active investigation (111)(112)(113). Preliminary studies have indicated that there is wide variation in the number of tumor-infiltrating immune cells expressing each of these markers (S. Lovitch & S. Rodig, unpublished data), and it remains to be determined whether their detection and number within tumor-biopsy specimens are predictive of the clinical response to therapies targeting these molecules.…”