[HTML][HTML] Regulatory T cells can migrate to follicles upon T cell activation and suppress GC-Th cells and GC-Th cell–driven B cell responses

HW Lim, P Hillsamer, CH Kim - The Journal of clinical …, 2004 - Am Soc Clin Investig
HW Lim, P Hillsamer, CH Kim
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2004Am Soc Clin Investig
How Tregs migrate to GCs, and whether they regulate the helper activity of the T cells in GCs
(GC-Th cells) remains poorly understood. We found a T cell subset in human tonsils that
displays potent suppressive activities toward GC-Th cell–dependent B cell responses.
These Tregs with the surface phenotype of CD4+ CD25+ CD69–migrate well to CCL19, a
chemokine expressed in the T cell zone, but poorly to CXCL13, a chemokine expressed in
the B cell zone. This migration toward the T cell–rich zone rapidly changes to trafficking …
How Tregs migrate to GCs, and whether they regulate the helper activity of the T cells in GCs (GC-Th cells) remains poorly understood. We found a T cell subset in human tonsils that displays potent suppressive activities toward GC-Th cell–dependent B cell responses. These Tregs with the surface phenotype of CD4+CD25+CD69 migrate well to CCL19, a chemokine expressed in the T cell zone, but poorly to CXCL13, a chemokine expressed in the B cell zone. This migration toward the T cell–rich zone rapidly changes to trafficking toward B cell follicles upon T cell activation. This change in chemotactic behavior upon activation of T cells is consistent with their switch in the expression of the 2 chemokine receptors CXCR5 and CCR7. CD4+CD25+CD69 Tregs suppress GC-Th cells and GC-Th cell–induced B cell responses such as Ig production, survival, and expression of activation-induced cytosine deaminase. Our results have identified a subset of Tregs that is physiologically relevant to GC-Th cell–dependent B cell responses and a potential regulation mechanism for the trafficking of these Tregs to GCs.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation