Aplastic anemia (AA) is a T cell immune mediated autoimmune disease in which cytokines, particularly IFN-γ are pathogenesis factors. Glucose metabolism is closely related to effector functions of activated T cells, such as IFN-γ production. The characteristics of glucose metabolism and whether interfering with glucose metabolism could affect T cells produce IFN-γ ability in AA patients remains unknown. In this study, we examined the characteristics of glucose metabolism in T cells from AA patients and the effects of the glucose metabolism inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) on the ability of T cell production IFN-γ. Our data demonstrated abnormal glucose metabolism in stimulated T cells from AA patients, mainly reflected by increased glucose uptake and lactate secretion. In addition, EM and TEMRA cells exhibit higher glucose uptake in patients with AA compared with healthy individuals. Moreover, the frequency of IFN-γ+ was reduced by 2-DG in T cell from AA patients. Unexpectedly, 2-DG re-normalized the frequency of IFN-γ+ in other T cell subsets, except for in the TEMRA. In conclusion, our study reveals for the first time the existence of enhanced aerobic glycolysis in T cells from AA patients, and different T cell subsets exhibit different extent glucose uptake requirements. Aerobic glycolysis regulation may be a potential therapeutic strategy for aberrant T cell immunity. Moreover, TEMRA may have specific metabolic abnormalities, which should receive more attention in future targeted immune metabolism research.
Keywords: 2-deoxy-D-glucose; Aplastic anemia; effector memory cells re-expressing CD45RA cells; interferon γ.