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Changes in circulating TCF1- and GARP-associated regulatory T cell subsets reflect the clinical status of patients with chronic HBV infection

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Abstract

This study aimed to clarify the expression changes and clinical significance of regulatory T (Treg) cells and follicular regulatory T (TFR) cell subsets divided by glycoprotein A repetitions predominant protein (GARP) and T cell factor 1(TCF1) in peripheral blood of patients with chronic HBV infection. The peripheral blood of 26 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, 27 inactive HBsAg carriers and 32 healthy controls were collected and GARP + percentages in Treg and TFR cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. In addition, Treg and TFR cell subsets sorted by CD62L and TCF1 were analyzed and compared. Correlation analyses were performed between Treg and TFR cell subpopulations and clinical parameters as well as cytokine concentrations, including IL-21, IL-10 and TGF-β1 in plasma. Circulating Treg and TFR levels were elevated in CHB patients. Moreover, GARP and TCF1 were up-regulated in circulating Treg and TFR cells of CHB patients. TCF1 + CD62L− Treg cells were increased while TCF1−CD62L + Treg cells were decreased in CHB patients. TCF1 + CD62L− and TCF1-CD62L− TFR cells were increased while TCF1 + CD62L + TFR cells were decreased in CHB patients. TCF1 + CD62L− Treg cells were positively correlated with HBV DNA, ALT and plasma IL-10, while TCF1 + CD62L + TFR cells were negatively correlated with HBV DNA, HBeAg, HBsAg, ALT, AST, T-BIL and positively correlated with plasma IL-21. Treg and TFR subsets sorted by TCF1, CD62L and GARP were changed in CHB patients. Changes in Treg and TFR functional subsets are associated with antiviral immunity in CHB patients.

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Abbreviations

ALT:

Alanine transferase

AST:

Aspartate transferase

aTreg:

Activated Treg

CHB:

Chronic hepatitis B

CMIA:

Chemiluminescent particle immunoassay

D-BIL:

Direct bilirubin

eTreg:

Effector Treg

Foxp3:

Forkhead box protein 3

GARP:

Glycoprotein A repetitions predominant protein

GC:

Germ center

HBeAg:

Hepatitis B e antigen

HBV:

Hepatitis B virus

HBsAg:

Hepatitis B surface antigen

HC:

Healthy controls

IC:

Inactive HBsAg carriers

IL:

Interleukin

rTreg:

Resting Treg

TCF1:

T cell factor 1

T-BIL:

Total bilirubin

TFH:

Follicular helper T cells

TFR:

T follicular regulator

TGF-β:

Transforming growth factor β

Treg:

Regulatory T cells

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Department of Hepatology, Peking University People’s Hospital for sharing electronic medical records.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from Peking University Medicine Fund of Fostering Young Scholars’ Scientific & Technological Innovation (BMU2021PY008), National Natural Science Foundation of China (81871230, 81401298), Peking University People’s Hospital Scientific Research Development Funds (RDT 2020-01) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

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Author notes

  1. Ayibaota Bahabayi, Xingyue Zeng and Bulidierxin Tuerhanbayi have contributed equally to the work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University People’s Hospital, 11# Xizhimen South Street, Beijing, 100044, China

    Ayibaota Bahabayi, Xingyue Zeng, Bulidierxin Tuerhanbayi, Yangyang Zhang, Ainizati Hasimu, Siyu Guo, Tianci Liu, Xiayidan Alimu & Chen Liu

  2. School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China

    Mohan Zheng

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Contributions

CL took charge of all the work and participated in its design. AB, XZ and BT conducted most of the experiments and drafted the manuscript. YZ, AH and SG analyzed the data. TL did part of the cellular experiments. MZ and XA did part of the clinical measurements. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Chen Liu.

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Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

430_2022_748_MOESM1_ESM.tif

Supplementary file1 (TIF 543 KB) Supplementary Figure 1. Analysis and comparison of FoxP3 and CD39 in Treg and TFR cells of three groups of individuals. A. Median fluorescence intensities (MFIs)  of FoxP3 in CD4+CXCR5−FoxP3+ Treg cells and CD4+CXCR5+FoxP3+ TFR cells from 26 CHB patients, 27 inactive HBsAg carriers(IC) and 32 healthy controls(HC) were analyzed and compared. B. Percentages of CD39+ cells in Treg and TFR subsets were analyzed by Flow cytometry and compared among 10 CHB patients, 10 inactive HBsAg carriers(IC) and 10 healthy controls(HC). Data are presented as mean with SD. *p˂0.05, ** p˂0.01, *** p˂0.001.

430_2022_748_MOESM2_ESM.tif

Supplementary file2 (TIF 480 KB) Supplementary Figure 2. Comparison of CD4 subsets according to TCF1 and CD62L in three groups. Peripheral blood samples were collected from HC (n=32), IC (n=27) and CHB patients (n=26), and then CD4 subpopulations according to TCF1 and CD62L were analyzed by FCM. Percentages of TCF1+CD62L−, TCF1+CD62L+, TCF1−CD62L− and TCF1−CD62L+ subsets in CD4 T cells were compared in three groups by ANOVA with multiple comparison. Data are presented as mean with SD. ** p˂0.01, *** p˂0.001.

430_2022_748_MOESM3_ESM.tif

Supplementary file3 (TIF 419 KB) Supplementary Figure 3. Comparison of Treg and TFR subpopulations in CD 127− Treg and TFR cells. PBMC were collected from blood samples of 10 CHB patients and 10 inactive HBsAg carriers(IC) and 10 healthy controls. A. GARP+ subsets and TCF1+CD62L−, TCF1+CD62L+, TCF1−CD62L− and TCF1−CD62L+ subsets in CD4+CXCR5−FoxP3+ Treg cells and CD4+CXCR5+FoxP3+ TFR cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. B&C. GARP+ percentages in Treg and TFR subsets were compared among three groups. D&E. percentages of TCF1+CD62L+, TCF1−CD62L− and TCF1−CD62L+ subsets in Treg and TFR cells were compared among three groups. Data are presented as mean with SD. *p˂0.05, ** p˂0.01.

430_2022_748_MOESM4_ESM.tif

Supplementary file4 (TIF 637 KB) Supplementary Figure 4. Correlation analysis between TFR and Treg-related functional cell subsets and clinical indicators. Peripheral blood TFR and Treg cell subsets according to GARP, TCF1 and CD62L were detected in inactive HBsAg carriers and CHB patients and correlation analyses were conducted with various clinical indicators of HBV infected patients. The graph shows the main statistically significant correlations. Data are shown as scatter plots, and correlation coefficient(r) and P values are listed and the graph is linearly fitted to show the trend.

430_2022_748_MOESM5_ESM.tif

Supplementary file5 (TIF 423 KB) Supplementary Figure 5. Correlation analysis between TFR and Treg-related functional cell subsets and plasma IL-21 and IL-10 concentrations. Peripheral blood TFR and Treg cell subsets according to GARP, TCF1 and CD62L were detected in inactive HBsAg carriers and CHB patients and correlation analyses were conducted with plasma IL-21 and IL-10 concentrations measured by ELISA. The graph shows the statistically significant correlations. Data are shown as scatter plots, and correlation coefficient(r) and P values are listed and the graph is linearly fitted to show the trend.

Supplementary file6 (DOCX 15 KB)

Supplementary file7 (DOCX 22 KB)

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Bahabayi, A., Zeng, X., Tuerhanbayi, B. et al. Changes in circulating TCF1- and GARP-associated regulatory T cell subsets reflect the clinical status of patients with chronic HBV infection. Med Microbiol Immunol 211, 237–247 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00430-022-00748-3

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