Frontiers in Immunology (Dec 2018)

Increased Expression of sST2 in Early HIV Infected Patients Attenuated the IL-33 Induced T Cell Responses

  • Xian Wu,
  • Xian Wu,
  • Yao Li,
  • Yao Li,
  • Cheng-Bo Song,
  • Cheng-Bo Song,
  • Cheng-Bo Song,
  • Cheng-Bo Song,
  • Ya-Li Chen,
  • Ya-Li Chen,
  • Ya-Li Chen,
  • Ya-Li Chen,
  • Ya-Jing Fu,
  • Ya-Jing Fu,
  • Ya-Jing Fu,
  • Ya-Jing Fu,
  • Yong-Jun Jiang,
  • Yong-Jun Jiang,
  • Yong-Jun Jiang,
  • Yong-Jun Jiang,
  • Hai-Bo Ding,
  • Hai-Bo Ding,
  • Hai-Bo Ding,
  • Hai-Bo Ding,
  • Hong Shang,
  • Hong Shang,
  • Hong Shang,
  • Hong Shang,
  • Zi-Ning Zhang,
  • Zi-Ning Zhang,
  • Zi-Ning Zhang,
  • Zi-Ning Zhang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.02850
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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T cell responses were less functional and persisted in an exhausted state in chronic HIV infection. Even in early phase of HIV infection, the dysfunction of HIV-specific T cells can be observed in rapid progressors, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Cytokines play a central role in regulating T cell function. In this study, we sought to elucidate whether IL-33/ST2 axis plays roles in the regulation of T cell function in HIV infection. We found that the level of IL-33 was upregulated in early HIV-infected patients compared with that in healthy controls and has a trend associated with disease progression. In vitro study shows that IL-33 promotes the expression of IFN-γ by Gag stimulated CD4+ and CD8+T cells from HIV-infected patients to a certain extent. However, soluble ST2 (sST2), a decoy receptor of IL-33, was also increased in early HIV infected patients, especially in those with progressive infection. We found that anti-ST2 antibodies attenuated the effect of IL-33 to CD4+ and CD8+T cells. Our data indicates that elevated expression of IL-33 in early HIV infection has the potential to enhance the function of T cells, but the upregulated sST2 weakens the activity of IL-33, which may indirectly contribute to the dysfunction of T cells and rapid disease progression. This data broadens the understanding of HIV pathogenesis and provides critical information for HIV intervention.

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