CD32 is enriched on CD4dimCD8bright T cells

PLoS One. 2020 Sep 22;15(9):e0239157. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239157. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

CD4dimCD8bright T cells, a genuine population of CD8+ T cells, are highly activated and cytolytic. Recently, the low affinity IgG Fc fragment receptor CD32a was described as marker of HIV latency while others reported that CD32a is associated with T cell activation. Given that we have previously established that CD4dimCD8bright T cells are highly activated, mediate anti-HIV responses, and are infected by HIV, we assessed here CD32 expression on CD4dimCD8bright T cells in context of HIV. CD32 frequency on peripheral CD4dimCD8bright and CD4+ T cells was determined by flow cytometry among HIV negative and HIV positive patients. We report that among HIV- individuals, mean CD32 percent expression was 60% on CD4dimCD8bright T cells and 17% on CD4+ T cells (p<0.01). Among HIV+ patients, mean CD32 percent expression was 54% on CD4dimCD8bright T cells and 12% on CD4+ T cells (p<0.001). CD32 expression on CD4dimCD8bright T cells did not correlate with CD4 count and viral load and was not different by HIV serostatus. CD32 was also higher on other double positive T cell populations in both HIV negative and HIV positive donors in comparison to their single positive T cell counterpart. Together, these studies indicate that CD32 is enriched on double positive T cells regardless of HIV serostatus. The functional role of CD32 on these double positive T cells remains to be elucidated.

Publication types

  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Cell Separation
  • Flow Cytometry
  • HIV Infections / blood*
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / immunology
  • HIV Infections / virology
  • HIV-1 / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Receptors, IgG / immunology
  • Receptors, IgG / metabolism*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • Viral Load

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • FCGR2A protein, human
  • Receptors, IgG