CD4+CD25+CD127low/-T淋巴细胞在类风湿关节炎患者外周血中的表达及意义

目的 检测调节性T淋巴细胞新旧标志在活动性类风湿关节炎(RA)患者外周血中的表达,探讨用CD127代替FOXP3对调节性T淋巴细胞进行研究的可能性.方法 选取活动性RA患者32例,其中未经缓解病情抗风湿药(DMARDs)治疗者20例,经DMARDs治疗效果不佳者12例,以25例原发性干燥综合征(pSS)患者和24名健康人作为对照,采用流式细胞术检测外周血中CD4+CD25high、CD4+CD25+CD127low/-及CD4*CD25+FOXP3+T淋巴细胞的比例,同时检测外周血C反应蛋白(CRP)、红细胞沉降率(ESR)、免疫球蛋白、补体等水平并进行相关性分析.结果 RA患者CD4+CD25highT淋巴细胞百分率与健康对照组相比差异无统计学意义(P>0.05).其CD4+CD25+FOXP3+T淋巴细胞与CD+CD25+CD127low/-T淋巴细胞的百分率均低于健康对照组(P<0.05),但CD4+D25+FOXP3+、CD4+CD25+CD127low/-T淋巴细胞在RA患者与pSS患者中的表达差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);这三群细胞的表达水平在RA未经治疗组和治疗效果不佳组之间差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05). RA患者CD4+CD25+FOXP3+T淋巴细胞与CD4+CD25+CD127low/-T淋巴细胞之间呈明显正相关(r=0.698,P=0.001),但这两群细胞与患者的CRP、ESR等水平及抗环瓜氨酸肽(CCP)抗体、类风湿因子(RF)均无相关性(P>0.05).结论 活动性RA患者外周血中,CD4+CD25+CD127low/-T淋巴细胞的百分率降低,并且与CD4+CD25+FOXP3+T淋巴细胞呈显著正相关性,提示CD127可能被作为Treg细胞中FOXP3的替代标记.

Expression and role of CD4+CD25+CD127low/-T cells of the peripheral blood in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Objective To investigate the expression of regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of rheumatoid arthritis patients and to explore the possibility of using CD127 instead of FOXP3 in the study of regulatory T cells. Methods Thirty-two patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) including 20 patients who hadn't been treated with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and 12 patients whose disease were poorly improved after DMARDs therapy], 25 patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) and 24 healthy controls were selected. The percentages of CD4+CD25high, CD4+CD25+CD127low/'- and CD4+CD25+ FOXP3+T cells were analyzed by 3-color flow cytometry. Meanwhile, the levels of CRP, ESR, immunoglobulin and complement were measured. Results Percentages of CD4+CD25+CD127low/-T cells and CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ T cells in RA patients were significantly lower than those of healthy controls (P<0.01 for each category of T cells),but the percentage of CD4+CD25high T cells didn't show significant changes (P>0.05). The expression of CD4+CD25+CD127ow/- and CD4+CD25+FOXP3+T cells showed no difference between RA and pSS patients (P> 0.05 for each). Differences of the three group cells between untreated RA patients and poorly-improved RA patients were not significant (P>0.05 for each case). CD4+CD25+CD127low/-T cells were positively associated with CD4+CD25+FOXP3+T cells (r=0.698, P=0.001), but the two groups had no correlation with the levels of CRP, ESR and anti-CCP antibody and RF (P>0.05 for each case). Conclusion The percentage of CD4+CD25+CD127low/-T cells is decreased in the peripheral blood of active RA patients and positively correlates with CD4+CD25+FOXP3+T cells.It suggests that CD127 may be an ahemative marker of FOXP3 in the study of Treg cells.