Dual mechanism of impairment of interleukin-7 (IL-7) responses in human immunodeficiency virus infection: decreased IL-7 binding and abnormal activation of the …

O Juffroy, F Bugault, O Lambotte, I Landires… - Journal of …, 2010 - Am Soc Microbiol
O Juffroy, F Bugault, O Lambotte, I Landires, JP Viard, L Niel, A Fontanet, JF Delfraissy…
Journal of virology, 2010Am Soc Microbiol
ABSTRACT Interleukin-7 (IL-7) plays a central role in controlling the homeostasis of both
naive and long-term-memory CD4+ T cells. To better understand how human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) perturbs CD4+ T-cell homeostasis, we performed a detailed
analysis of IL-7R expression, IL-7 binding, and IL-7-dependent early and late signaling
events in CD4+ T-cell subsets from viremic and efficiently treated patients. HIV infection
differentially affected the expression of IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) chains, with decreases in IL …
Abstract
Interleukin-7 (IL-7) plays a central role in controlling the homeostasis of both naive and long-term-memory CD4+ T cells. To better understand how human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) perturbs CD4+ T-cell homeostasis, we performed a detailed analysis of IL-7R expression, IL-7 binding, and IL-7-dependent early and late signaling events in CD4+ T-cell subsets from viremic and efficiently treated patients. HIV infection differentially affected the expression of IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) chains, with decreases in IL-7Rα/CD127 expression in the memory subset and increases in γc/CD132 expression in all CD4+ T cells. This resulted in preserved IL-7 binding in the naive compartment and decreased IL-7 binding in the memory compartment of viremic patients. Accordingly, the percentages of cells signaling in response to IL-7, as measured by pSTAT5 induction, were decreased in memory subsets, including conventional CD4+ T cells and regulatory T cells. However, the levels of pSTAT5 induction per responding cell, as measured by pSTAT5 fluorescence intensity, were increased within all naive and memory CD4+ T-cell subsets of viremic patients. The basal level of pSTAT5 was also increased, indicating a constitutive activation of the JAK/STAT5 pathway. IL-7 functional responses, as measured by Bcl-2, CD25, and Foxp3 induction, were impaired in viremic patient CD4+ T cells, suggesting that chronic activation led to downstream defects in the STAT5 signaling pathway. Thus, HIV infection perturbs IL-7 responses at both receptor binding and signaling steps, which likely compromises the regenerative capacity of the CD4+ T-cell pool and may contribute to CD4+ T-cell depletion.
American Society for Microbiology