25 Treg cells have a broad T cell receptor repertoire that can recognize various self and non-self antigens. It has been suggested that the immune system employs Treg

cells to maintain self-tolerance by suppressing the activation and expansion of self-reactive lymphocytes that might otherwise cause autoimmune disease.25 A controlled balance between initiation and down-regulation of the host immune response is vital in maintenance of immune homeostasis. A number of studies have suggested that depletion or reduction of Treg cells leads to enhanced immune responses against various Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical infectious pathogens including HCV.26,27 A higher Vorinostat purchase proportion of Treg cells was found in patients with chronic HCV infection when compared with successfully treated and/or Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical healthy controls.26,28–30In vitro depletion of these cells results in increased HCV-specific T cell responsiveness.28,29 Thus, Treg cells appear to suppress the effector response of virus-specific T cells in patients with chronic HCV infection. Treg cells have

been shown to exert their suppressive activity through a number of different pathways. Production of immunoregulatory cytokines has been proposed as a major mechanism by which Treg cells mediate Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical their function. Treg cell suppressive cytokines that have been described in the literature include transforming growth Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical factor (TGF)-β, IL-10, and IL-35.31 These molecules have been shown to play a key role in the suppressive activity of Treg cells.31,32 Recently, we and others have identified the fibrinogen-like protein 2 (fgl2) as a putative effector gene of Treg cells and other regulatory T cell subsets, including CD8+CD45RClow T cells, CD8αα+ T cells in the intestine, and CD4−CD8− double negative (DN) T cells.31,33–36 FIBRINOGEN-LIKE PROTEIN 2 (FGL2) FGL2, also known as fibroleukin, was first cloned from cytotoxic T lymphocytes and was classified Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical as a member of the fibrinogen superfamily due to its homology

(36%) with fibrinogen β and γ chains.37 The fgl2 gene, which has been localized to chromosome 7 and 5 in humans and mice, respectively, is composed of two exons that are separated by one intron. The fgl2 promoter contains cis element consensus sequences for the binding of various transcription factors, including Ets, AP1, Sp1, TCF1, Ikaros, and CEBP.38 The CYTH4 fgl2 gene encodes a protein of 432 amino acids in mice and 439 amino acids in humans. The deduced protein sequence contains a predicted signal peptide, five N-linked glycosylation sites, and conserved cysteine residues. Under non-reducing conditions the molecular mass of the protein is 250–300 kDa, and in reducing condition it is 64–70 kDa, indicating that FGL2 in its natural state forms a tetrameric complex.