Hydroxychloroquine preferentially induces apoptosis of CD45RO+ effector T cells by inhibiting autophagy: A possible mechanism for therapeutic modulation of T cells

Taken together, these data demonstrate that HCQ treatment inhibits the completion of the autophagy process in primary human CD4+ T cells, resulting in the accumulation of autophagosomes. Because CD4+CD45RO+ memory and effector T cells are among the drivers in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, we hypothesized that the rate of the autophagy process (also known as the autophagic flux) in these cells could differ from naive CD4+CD45RA+CD45RO- cells. [...]cells were washed twice and stained with the autophagy specific dye diluted in supplemented culture medium (1:500) at 37°C for 30 minutes.