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Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Phenotypic and Functional Analysis of Activated Regulatory T Cells Isolated from Chronic Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus-infected Mice
Published on: June 22, 2016
Increased percentage of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells during septic shock is due to the decrease of CD4+CD25-
Fabienne Venet1, Alexandre Pachot, Anne-Lise Debard
1Immunology Laboratory, Lyon-Sud University Hospital, France.
Objective:
The elevation of the percentage of regulatory CD4+CD25+ T lymphocytes (Treg) has been recently described during septic shock. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether this increased percentage was due to Treg proliferation.
Design:
Observational study.
Setting:
Adult intensive care units in a university hospital.
Subjects:
Patients with septic shock (n = 54) and healthy individuals (n = 30).
Interventions:
None.
Measurements And Main Results:
In patients, we first confirmed the increased percentage of Treg among CD4+ lymphocytes in comparison with healthy individuals. Surprisingly, regarding absolute counting, we demonstrated that both T CD4+ lineages (CD25+ and CD25-) were diminished immediately after the onset of shock. Then, whereas Treg returned rapidly to healthy donors values, CD4+CD25- T lymphocytes remained dramatically reduced. Finally, Foxp3 (Treg-related gene) messenger RNA quantification enabled us to definitively rule out a lack of proliferation since it was not increased during shock.
Conclusion:
The increased percentage of Treg after shock is due not to their proliferation but to a decrease in CD4+CD25- T lymphocyte number. We hypothesize that it might be due to a resistance of Treg to apoptosis processes occurring during septic shock.
