Mittrücker Hans-Willi, Kaufmann Stefan H E
Department of Immunology, Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany.
Eur J Immunol. 2004 Feb;34(2):306-12. doi: 10.1002/eji.200324578.
Within the last few years, regulatory T cells (T(reg) cells) have re-entered the stage of immunology. This astonishing revival is mainly due to recent studies on peripheral tolerance, which demonstrated the existence of T(reg) cells and allowed the isolation and phenotypic and functional characterization of these cells. However, information on the role of T(reg) cells in the control of immune responses against infections is still limited, although host defense represents the prime function of the immune system. In this overview, we summarize current knowledge on T(reg) cells in immunity to infection, discuss potential functions of T(reg) cells during infection, and finally, point to possible implications of T(reg) cell functions for our understanding of fundamental aspects of host-pathogen interactions.
在过去几年中，调节性T细胞（Treg细胞）重新进入了免疫学舞台。这一惊人的复兴主要归功于最近关于外周免疫耐受的研究，这些研究证实了Treg细胞的存在，并使得这些细胞得以分离、进行表型和功能鉴定。然而，尽管宿主防御是免疫系统的主要功能，但关于Treg细胞在控制针对感染的免疫反应中的作用的信息仍然有限。在本综述中，我们总结了目前关于Treg细胞在抗感染免疫中的知识，讨论了Treg细胞在感染期间的潜在功能，最后指出Treg细胞功能对于我们理解宿主-病原体相互作用基本方面的可能影响。
