Regulatory T-Cell markers, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, and virus levels in spleen and gut during progressive simian immunodeficiency virus infection

High levels of viral replication occur in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and other lymphoid tissues (LT) since the early phase of human/simian immunodeficiency virus (HIV/SIV) infection. Regulatory T cells (T-reg), a subset of immunosuppressive T cells expressing CTLA-4 and the FoxP3 transcription factor, accumulate in LT during HIV/SIV infection. Here we show that FoxP3 and CTLA-4 mRNA are increased in leukocytes from the spleens, lymph nodes (LN), and mucosal sites of chronically SIV-infected macaques with high viremia (SIVHI,) compared to animals with low viremia (SIVLO). FoxP3 and CTLA-4 correlated with SIV RNA levels in tissues; SIV virus levels in the spleen, inguinal LN, mesenteric LN, colon, and jejunum directly correlated with the plasma virus level. Importantly, CTLA-4 and FoxP3 mRNA were predominantly increased in the CD25(-) subpopulation of leukocytes from SIVHI, further challenging the classical definition of T-reg as CD4(+) CD25(+) T cells. Similar to CTLA-4 and FoxP3, expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an immunosuppressive enzyme induced by T-V in antigen-presenting cells, was increased in the spleens, mesenteric LN, colons, and jejuna from SIVHI compared to SIVLO, and directly correlated to SIV RNA in the same tissues. Accordingly, plasma kynurenine/tryptophan, a marker for IDO enzymatic activity, was significantly higher in SIVHI compared to SIVLO and correlated with plasma viral levels. Increased Treg and IDO in LT of SIV-infected macaques may be the consequence of increased tissue inflammation and/or may favor virus replication during the chronic phase of SIV infection.