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Updated: Oct 8, 2025

Adenoviral Transduction of Naive CD4 T Cells to Study Treg Differentiation
Published on: August 13, 2013
CD8 Treg-Mediated Suppression of Naive CD4+ T Cell Differentiation into Follicular Helper T Cells
Taissa M Kasahara1, Sudhir Gupta2
1Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Background:
The regulatory CD8+ T (CD8+ Treg) cells play an important role in immune tolerance and have been implicated in several human autoimmune diseases. In this context, follicular helper T (TFH) cells contribute by controlling the antibody production. In mice, CD8+ Treg cells control the number and function of TFH cells however the role of human CD8+ Treg cells on the differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells into TFH cells has not been studied.
Objectives:
Here, we evaluated the ability of human CD183+ CD8+ Treg cells to suppress TFH cell differentiation in vitro.
Methods:
Activated CD183+CCR7+CD45RA-CD8+ Treg and CD183+CD25highICOS+CD8+ Treg cells were sorted and cocultured with naïve CD4+ T cells under TFH differentiation condition. The differentiation of TFH cells was evaluated by flow cytometry.
Results:
Our results showed that activated CD183+CD8+ Treg cells upregulated the expression of Forkhead box P3 transcription factor, inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS), and CD25 compared to CD183-CD8+ T cells. The CD183+CD25highICOS+CD8+ Treg cells suppressed TFH cell differentiation and CD4+ T cell proliferation in vitro which was not observed when CD183+CCR7+CD45RA-CD8+ Treg were cocultured with naïve CD4+ T cells under TFH cell differentiation condition.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that CD25highICOS+CD183+CD8+ Treg cells may regulate autoimmune and inflammatory responses mediated by TFH cells.
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