Up-regulated expression of Fas antigen (CD95) by peripheral naive and memory T cell subsets in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): a possible mechanism for lymphopenia.
Fas antigen (CD95) is a membrane-associated molecule that mediates apoptotic cell death and may play a role in the induction and maintenance of T cell tolerance. To elucidate the involvement of Fas antigen in human autoimmune diseases, we analysed Fas antigen expression by peripheral T cells from patients with SLE and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using three-colour flow cytometry. Both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from SLE patients expressed Fas antigen in a higher density than did these cells from healthy donors and from RA patients. Enhancement of Fas antigen density was noted in Fas+CD45RO+ memory T cells from SLE patients. More remarkably, a significant expression of Fas antigen was observed in CD45RO- naive T cells from SLE patients. CD4+CD45RO- T cells from SLE patients co-expressed Fas antigen and early to intermediate activation antigens such as CD25 and CD71, and late activation antigen HLA-DR in only FashiCD4+ naive T cells. Such up-regulation of Fas antigen expression in SLE patients seems to be clinically meaningful, because mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of Fas antigen on CD4+ T cell subsets inversely correlates with the absolute size of CD4+ T cell subsets in peripheral blood of SLE patients. These results suggest that T cells with increased Fas antigen expression may be highly susceptible to apoptotic cell death, in vivo. A putative mechanism for lymphopenia in SLE patients is discussed.
Amasaki
Y
Y
Department of Medicine II, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Kobayashi
S
S
Takeda
T
T
Ogura
N
N
Jodo
S
S
Nakabayashi
T
T
Tsutsumi
A
A
Fujisaku
A
A
Koike
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D019014:fas Receptor
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015415:Biomarkers; D019014:fas Receptor