The Role of Regulatory T Cells in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Wen Tian, Shirley Y. Jiang, Xinguo Jiang, Rasa Tamošiūnienė, Dong-Eon Kim, Torrey Guan, Siham Arsalane, Shravani Pasupneti, Norbert F. Voelkel, Qizhi Tang, Mark R. Nicolls
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic, incurable condition characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling, perivascular inflammation, and right heart failure. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) stave off autoimmunity, and there is increasing evidence for their compromised activity in the inflammatory milieu of PAH. Abnormal Treg function is strongly correlated with a predisposition to PAH in animals and patients. Athymic Treg-depleted rats treated with SU5416, an agent causing pulmonary vascular injury, develop PAH, which is prevented by infusing missing CD4 + CD25 high FOXP3 + Tregs. Abnormal Treg activity may also explain why PAH disproportionately affects women more than men. This mini review focuses on the role of Tregs in PAH with a special view to sexual dimorphism and the future promise of Treg therapy.