KLRG1 and PD-1 expression are increased on T-cells following tuberculosis-treatment and identify cells with different proliferative capacities in BCG-vaccinated adults.

In cancer and chronic infectious diseases, immune checkpoint-blockade of inhibitory receptors can enhance T-cell immunity. In tuberculosis (TB), a chronic infectious disease, prolonged antigen exposure can potentially drive terminal T-cell differentiation towards functional ‘exhaustion’: in human TB T-cells express PD-1 (programmed cell death protein-1) and CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4). However, in murine TB not PD-1 but rather killer cell lectin-like receptor subfamily-G1 (KLRG1) was a superior indicator of terminal T-cell differentiation. We therefore compared expression of KLRG1, PD-1 and CTLA-4 on T-cells in different stages of human TB, and also analysed their induction following BCG-vaccination. KLRG1, PD-1 and CTLA-4-expression were highest on in vitro BCG-stimulated CD4+ T-cells following recent TB-treatment; KLRG1 and PD-1-expression on CD4+ T-cells in active – but not latent – TB were only slightly increased compared to healthy donors. BCG-vaccination induced KLRG1-expression on BCG-stimulated CD8+ but not CD4+ T-cells, while neither PD-1 nor CTLA-4-expression increased. KLRG1-expressing CD8+ T-cells exhibited markedly decreased proliferation, whereas PD-1+ T-cells proliferated after in vitro BCG-stimulation. Thus, we demonstrate the presence of increased KLRG1-expressing T-cells in TB-treated individuals, and present KLRG1 as a marker of decreased human T-cell proliferation following BCG-vaccination. These results expand our understanding of cell-mediated immune control of mycobacterial infections.