HIV Skews the Lineage-Defining Transcriptional Profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Specific CD4(+) T Cells
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
HIV-infected persons are at greater risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) even before profound CD4 loss occurs, suggesting that HIV alters CD4+ T cell functions capable of containing bacterial replication. An effective immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis most likely relies on the development of a balanced CD4 response, in which distinct CD4+ Th subsets act in synergy to control the infection. To define the diversity of M. tuberculosis–specific CD4+ Th subsets and determine whether HIV infection impacts such responses, the expression of lineage-defining transcription factors T-bet, Gata3, RORγt, and Foxp3 was measured in M. tuberculosis–specific CD4+ T cells in HIV-uninfected (n = 20) and HIV-infected individuals (n = 20) with latent TB infection. Our results show that, upon 5-d restimulation in vitro, M. tuberculosis–specific CD4+ T cells from healthy individuals have the ability to exhibit a broad spectrum of Th subsets, defined by specific patterns of transcription factor coexpression. These transcription factor profiles were skewed in HIV-infected individuals where the proportion of T-bethighFoxp3+ M. tuberculosis–specific CD4+ T cells was significantly decreased (p = 0.002) compared with HIV-uninfected individuals, a change that correlated inversely with HIV viral load (p = 0.0007) and plasma TNF-α (p = 0.027). Our data demonstrate an important balance in Th subset diversity defined by lineage-defining transcription factor coexpression profiles that is disrupted by HIV infection and suggest a role for HIV in impairing TB immunity by altering the equilibrium of M. tuberculosis–specific CD4+ Th subsets.
Date Issued
2016-02-29
Date Acceptance
2016-01-28
Citation
Journal of Immunology, 2016, 196 (7), pp.3006-3018
ISSN
1550-6606
Publisher
American Association of Immunologists
Start Page
3006
End Page
3018
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Immunology
Volume
196
Issue
7
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Immunology
PATHOGENIC T(H)17 CELLS
TH17 CELLS
INFECTION
DIFFERENTIATION
HELPER
COMMITMENT
PLASTICITY
EFFECTOR
MEMORY
GAMMA
Publication Status
Published