Dysfunctional immunoregulation in human liver allograft rejection associated with compromised galectin-1/CD7 pathway function

Regulatory T cells in rejected allograft patients display an inability to control responder T cells. Galectin-1 (Gal1) inhibits responder T cells through binding CD7. We investigated whether the dysfunctional immunoregulation in liver allograft rejection patients results from reduced regulatory T-cell Gal1 expression and/or responder T-cell CD7 expression. Circulating regulatory T cells and responder T cells were profiled from 31 acute rejection transplant patients, 85 transplant patients in remission, and 40 healthy controls. CD7+ and CD7− responder T cells were co-cultured with regulatory T cells to assess regulatory T-cell suppressor function. Gal1-small interfering RNA was used to silence regulatory T-cell Gal1. The CD7+ cell percentage was inversely correlated with AST, ALT, and GGT levels. The proportions of CD7+ responder T cells and Gal1+ regulatory T cells were higher in healthy controls than in transplant patients in remission and lowest in acute rejection transplant patients. Notably, CD7+ responder T-cell susceptibility to Gal1+ regulatory T-cell control was ranked in the same manner. Silencing Gal1 expression in regulatory T cells reduced their ability to suppress CD7+ (but not CD7−) responder T cells. Additionally, the proportions of CD43+ and CD45+ responder T cells were higher in healthy controls than in acute rejection transplant patients. CD43 co-expression (but not CD45 co-expression) on CD7+ responder T cells promoted their apoptosis in a Gal1-dependent manner. In sum, dysfunctional immunoregulation in liver allograft rejection patients can be partly attributed to reduced regulatory T-cell Gal1 expression and reduced responder T-cell CD7 expression. Responder T-cell CD43 downregulation in acute rejection patients may further contribute to reduced responder T-cell responsiveness to regulatory T-cell control.