Characterization of the Treg Response in the Hepatitis B Virus Hydrodynamic Injection Mouse Model.

ABSTRACT: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in counter-regulating effector T cell responses in many infectious diseases. However, they can also contribute to the development of T cell dysfunction and pathogen persistence in chronic infections. Tregs have been reported to suppress virus-specific T cell responses in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection of human patients as well as in HBV animal models. However, the phenotype and expansion of Tregs has so far only been investigated in other infections, but not in HBV. We therefore performed hydrodynamic injections of HBV plasmids into mice and analyzed the Treg response in the spleen and liver. Absolute Treg numbers significantly increased in the liver but not the spleen after HBV injection. The cells were natural Tregs that surprisingly d

SUBMITTER: Dietze KK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4795771 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature