In early HIV-1 infection,Vdelta1 T lymphocytes are increased in peripheral blood and this is related to chemokine receptor expression,chemokine response,and recirculation. Herein we show that,at variance with healthy donors,in HIV-1-infected patients ex vivo-isolated Vdelta1 T cells display cytoplasmic interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Interestingly,these cells coexpress cytoplasmic interleukin-17 (IL-17),and bear the CD27 surface marker of the memory T-cell subset. Vdelta1 T cells,isolated from either patients or healthy donors,can proliferate and produce IFN-gamma and IL-17 in response to Candida albicans in vitro,whereas Vdelta2 T cells respond with proliferation and IFN-gamma/IL-17 production to mycobacterial or phosphate antigens. These IFN-gamma/IL-17 double-producer gammadelta T cells express the Th17 RORC and the Th1 TXB21 transcription factors and bear the CCR7 homing receptor and the CD161 molecule that are involved in gammadelta T-cell transendothelial migration. Moreover,Vdelta1 T cells responding to C albicans express the chemokine receptors CCR4 and CCR6. This specifically equipped circulating memory gammadelta T-cell population might play an important role in the control of HIV-1 spreading and in the defense against opportunistic infections,possibly contributing to compensate for the impairment of CD4(+) T cells.
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