Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells are increased in patients with Coxiella burnetii endocarditis |
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Authors: | Layez Corinne Brunet Corinne Lépolard Catherine Ghigo Eric Capo Christian Raoult Didier Mege Jean-Louis |
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Affiliation: | Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses Tropicales et Emergentes, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France. |
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Abstract: | Chronic Q fever, which principally manifests as endocarditis, is characterized by Coxiella burnetii persistence and an impaired cell-mediated immune response. The long-term persistence of pathogens has been associated with the expansion of regulatory T cells (Tregs), the CD4(+) T-cell subset that is characterized by the expression of CD25 and Foxp3. We investigated the presence of Tregs in patients with acute Q fever (n?=?17), known to exhibit an efficient immune response, patients with Q fever endocarditis (n?=?54) and controls (n?=?27) by flow cytometry. The proportion of CD3(+) , CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells was similar in controls and patients with Q fever. The percentage of CD4(+) T cells that expressed CD25 was similar in controls and patients with Q fever. The population of CD4(+) T cells that expressed both CD25 and Foxp3 was significantly (P?0.001) increased in patients with Q fever endocarditis compared with controls. Our data suggest that the expansion of Tregs may be critical for the chronic evolution of Q fever. |
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