A novel human CD4(+) T-cell inducer subset with potent immunostimulatory properties

The complexity of immunoregulation has focused attention on the CD4(+) T ""suppressor"" regulatory cell (T(reg)), which helps maintain balance between immunity and tolerance. An immunoregulatory T-cell population that upon activation amplifies cellular immune responses was described in murine models more than 30 years ago; however, no study has yet identified a naturally occurring T ""inducer"" cell type. Here, we report that the ectoenzyme CD39/NTPDase1 (ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1) helps to delineate a novel population of human ""inducer"" CD4(+) T cells (T(ind)) that significantly increases the proliferation and cytokine production of responder T cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, this unique T(ind) subset produces a distinct repertoire of cytokines in comparison to the other CD4(+) T-cell subsets. We propose that this novel CD4(+) T-cell population counterbalances the suppressive activity of suppressor T(reg) in peripheral blood and serves as a calibrator of immunoregulation.

National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of California, San Francisco-Gladstone Institute of Virology & Immunology Center[P30 AI027763]

National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of California, San Francisco-Gladstone Institute of Virology & Immunology Center[AI060379]

National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of California, San Francisco-Gladstone Institute of Virology & Immunology Center[AI068498]

National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of California, San Francisco-Gladstone Institute of Virology & Immunology Center[AI066917]

National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of California, San Francisco-Gladstone Institute of Virology & Immunology Center[AI042590]

AIDS Research Institute (ARI)

National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, Berkeley, California[94720-7360]