Frequency and functional profile of circulating TCRαβ
+ double negative T cells in HIV/TB co-infection.
BMC Infect Dis 2022;
22:890. [PMID:
36443691 PMCID:
PMC9703676 DOI:
10.1186/s12879-022-07807-3]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Increased frequency of circulating double negative T (DNT, CD4-CD8-CD3+) cells with protective immune function has been observed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and tuberculosis (TB). Here the role of circulating TCRαβ+ DNT cells was further investigated in HIV/TB co-infection.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the frequency and functional profiles of peripheral TCRαβ+ DNT cells including apoptosis, chemokine and cytokine expression among healthy individuals and patients with TB, HIV infection and HIV/TB co-infection by cell surface staining and intracellular cytokine staining combined with flow cytometry.
RESULTS
Significantly increased frequency of TCRαβ+ DNT cells was observed in HIV/TB co-infection than that in TB (p < 0.001), HIV infection (p = 0.039) and healthy controls (p < 0.001). Compared with TB, HIV/TB co-infection had higher frequency of Fas expression (p = 0.007) and lower frequency of Annexin V expression on TCRαβ+ DNT cells (p = 0.049), and the frequency of Annexin V expression on Fas+TCRαβ+ DNT cells had no significant difference. TCRαβ+ DNT cells expressed less CCR5 in HIV/TB co-infection than that in TB (p = 0.014), and more CXCR4 in HIV/TB co-infection than that in HIV infection (p = 0.043). Compared with healthy controls, TB and HIV/TB co-infection had higher frequency of TCRαβ+ DNT cells secreting Granzyme A (p = 0.046; p = 0.005). In TB and HIV/TB co-infection, TCRαβ+ DNT cells secreted more granzyme A (p = 0.002; p = 0.002) and perforin (p < 0.001; p = 0.017) than CD4+ T cells but similar to CD8+ T cells.
CONCLUSIONS
Reduced apoptosis may take part in the mechanism of increased frequency of peripheral TCRαβ+ DNT cells in HIV/TB co-infection. TCRαβ+ DNT cells may play a cytotoxic T cells-like function in HIV/TB co-infection.
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