Regulatory B cells correlate with HIV disease progression.

A rare subset of IL-10-producing B cells, named Breg, was recently identified in mice and humans. Currently, there are no unified cell surface markers to identify Breg, and the relationship between the frequency of Breg and HIV disease progression in chronic HIV infection is unclear. In the present study, we determined whether the cell surface markers of Breg reported for other diseases are suitable for identifying Breg in HIV-infected patients. In addition, we examined the relationship between Breg and HIV disease progression. We found that Breg frequency correlated positively with viral load and negatively with CD4 count in chronic HIV infection. Following antiretroviral treatment, the CD4 count increased and the frequency of Breg decreased stepwise. There was no difference in IL-10 expression of CD1d(hi) or CD1d(lo) cells isolated from HIV-infected patients. Therefore, CD1d may not be a marker of Breg in HIV-infected patients.