IMMUNOBIOLOGY IL-2 regulates FOXP3 expression in human CD4 CD25 regulatory T cells through a STAT-dependent mechanism and induces the expansion of these cells in vivo

IL-2 plays a critical role in the maintenance of CD4 CD25 FOXP3 regulatory T cells (Tregs) in vivo. We examined the effects of IL-2 signaling in human Tregs. In vitro, IL-2 selectively up-regulated the expression of FOXP3 in purified CD4 CD25 T cells but not in CD4 CD25 cells. This regulation involved the binding of STAT3 and STAT5 proteins to a highly conserved STAT-binding site located in the first intron of the FOXP3 gene. We also examined the effects of low-dose IL-2 treatment in 12 patients with metastatic cancer and 9 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Overall, IL-2 treatment resulted in a 1.9 median fold increase in the frequency of CD4 CD25 cells in peripheral blood as well as a 9.7 median fold increase in FOXP3 expression in CD3 T cells. CD56 CD3 natural killer (NK) cells also expanded during IL-2 therapy but did not express FOXP3. In vitro treatment of NK cells with 5-aza-2 -deoxycytidine restored the IL-2 signaling pathway leading to FOXP3 expression, suggesting that this gene was constitutively repressed by DNA methylation in these cells. Our findings support the clinical evaluation of low-dose IL-2 to selectively modulate CD4 CD25 Tregs and increase expression of FOXP3 in vivo. (Blood. 2006; 108:1571-1579)