Conclusion
Our study has provided a novel insight into Tregs at the transcriptional and functional levels in different HIV-infected groups.
Methods
RNA sequencing (RNAseq), flow cytometry-based immunophenotyping and functional assays were performed to study Tregs in different HIV cohorts.
Results
Our RNAseq analysis revealed that Tregs exhibit different transcriptional profiles in HIV-infected individuals. While Tregs from patients on ART upregulate pathways associated with a more suppressive (activated) phenotype, Tregs in LTNPs exhibit upregulation of pathways associated with impaired suppressive properties. These observations may explain a higher propensity for autoimmune diseases in LTNPs. Also, we found substantial upregulation of HLA-F mRNA and HLA-F protein in Tregs from HIV-infected subjects compared to healthy individuals. These observations highlight a potential role for this non-classical HLA in Tregs in the context of HIV infection, which should be investigated further in other chronic viral infections and cancer.