Gene expression profiles of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells during acute and chronic viral infection

Regulatory T (Treg) cells act as terminators in the case of T cell immunity during the acute phase of viral infection. However, their roles in chronic viral infection are not completely understood. We compared the phenotype and function of Treg cells during acute and chronic viral infection using lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-infected mouse models. Chronic infection, unlike acute infection, led to induction of Treg cells and upregulation of various inhibitory receptors. Treg cells isolated from chronically infected mice (chronic Treg cells) displayed greater suppressive capacity for inhibiting T cell proliferation and subsequent cytokine production than those from naïve (naive Treg cells) or acutely infected mice (acute Treg cells). These gene expression profiles provided evidence that chronic Treg cells display characteristics distinct from either naive or acute Treg cells. Mouse splenic CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells were analyzed at 0 day and 16 day after acute or chronic viral infection with LCMV Arm or CL13, respectively.