Loss- and Gain-of-Function Approaches Indicate a Dual Role Exerted by Regulatory T Cells in Pulmonary Paracoccidioidomycosis.

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), is a pulmonary fungal disease whose severity depends on the adequate development of T cell immunity. Although regulatory T (Treg) cells were shown to control immunity against PCM, deleterious or protective effects were described in different experimental settings. To clarify the function of Treg cells in pulmonary PCM, loss-and gain-of-function approaches were performed with Foxp3GFP knock-in mice and immunodeficient Rag1-/- mice, respectively, which were intratracheally infected with 106 yeast cells. The activity of Foxp3-expressing Treg cells in pulmonary PCM was determined in Foxp3GFP transgenic mice. First, it was verified that natural Treg cells migrate to the lungs of infected mice, where they become activated. Depletion of Treg cells led to reduced fungal load, diminished pathogen dissemination and increased Th1/Th2/Th17 immunity. Further, adoptive transfer of diverse T cell subsets to Rag1-/- mice subsequently infected by the pulmonary route demonstrated that isolated CD4+Foxp3+ Treg cells were able to confer some degree of immunoprotection and that CD4+Foxp3- T cells alone reduced fungal growth and enhanced T cell immunity, but induced vigorous inflammatory reactions in the lungs. Nevertheless, transfer of Treg cells combined with CD4+Foxp3- T cells generated more efficient and balanced immune Th1/Th2/Th17 responses able to limit pathogen growth and excessive tissue inflammation, leading to regressive disease and increased survival rates. Altogether, these loss- and gain-of-function approaches allow us to clearly demonstrate the dual role of Treg cells in pulmonary PCM, their deleterious effects by impairing T cell immunity and pathogen eradication, and their protective role by suppressing exacerbated tissue inflammation.

Anti-IL-2 treatment impairs the expansion of T(reg) cell population during acute malaria and enhances the Th1 cell response at the chronic disease.

Plasmodium chabaudi infection induces a rapid and intense splenic CD4(+) T cell response that contributes to both disease pathogenesis and the control of acute parasitemia. The subsequent development of clinical immunity to disease occurs concomitantly with the persistence of low levels of chronic parasitemia. The suppressive activity of regulatory T (T(reg)) cells has been implicated in both development of clinical immunity and parasite persistence. To evaluate whether IL-2 is required to induce and to sustain the suppressive activity of T(reg) cells in malaria, we examined in detail the effects of anti-IL-2 treatment with JES6-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) on the splenic CD4(+) T cell response during acute and chronic P. chabaudi AS infection in C57BL/6 mice. JES6-1 treatment on days 0, 2 and 4 of infection partially inhibits the expansion of the CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) cell population during acute malaria. Despite the concomitant secretion of IL-2 and expression of high affinity IL-2 receptor by large CD4(+) T cells, JES6-1 treatment does not impair effector CD4(+) T cell activation and IFN-γ production. However, at the chronic phase of the disease, an enhancement of cellular and humoral responses occurs in JES6-1-treated mice, with increased production of TNF-α and parasite-specific IgG2a antibodies. Furthermore, JES6-1 mAb completely blocked the in vitro proliferation of CD4(+) T cells from non-treated chronic mice, while it further increased the response of CD4(+) T cells from JES6-1-treated chronic mice. We conclude that JES6-1 treatment impairs the expansion of T(reg) cell population during early P. chabaudi malaria and enhances the Th1 cell response in the late phase of the disease.