CTLA-4 blockade decreases TGF-β, IDO, and viral RNA expression in tissues of SIVmac251-infected macaques

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are a subset of CD25 +CD4+ T cells that constitutively express high levels of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and suppress T-cell activation and effector functions. Treg cells are increased in tissues of individuals infected with HIV-1 and macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac251). In HIV-1 infection, T reg cells could exert contrasting effects: they may limit viral replication by decreasing immune activation, or they may increase viral replication by suppressing virus-specific immune response. Thus, the outcome of blocking Treg function in HIV/SIV should be empirically tested. Here, we demonstrate that CD25+ T cells inhibit virus-specific T-cell responses in cultured T cells from blood and lymph nodes of SIV-infected macaques. We investigated the impact of CTLA-4 blockade using the anti-CTLA-4 human antibody MDX-010 in SIV-infected macaques treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). CTLA-4 blockade decreased expression of the tryptophan-depleting enzyme IDO and the level of the suppressive cytokine transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in tissues. CTLA-4 blockade was associated with decreased viral RNA levels in lymph nodes and an increase in the effector function of both SIV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Therefore, blunting Treg function in macaques infected with SIV did not have detrimental virologic effects and may provide a valuable approach to complement ART and therapeutic vaccination in the treatment of HIV-1 infection. © 2006 by The American Society of Hematology.