PReS-FINAL-1021: Further characterization of CD161+ regulatory t cells in health and disease

Introduction Regulatory T cells (Treg) are crucial for maintaining immune homeostasis and mediating immune tolerance. Besides their immune regulatory function, Treg can produce pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-17 and interferon (IFN)-g. Recently, our group has identified CD161 as a marker for pro-inflammatory FoxP3+ T cells which have classic Treg characteristics but also have effector T cell functions (Pesenacker et al., 2013). These data also demonstrated enhanced levels of CD161 expressing Treg within the inflamed synovial joints of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) patients suggesting a role for CD161+ Treg in disease. Therefore, further characterization of this specific subset of Treg is required to unravel its function in health and disease.