title: Lymphocyte subpopulations analysis in peripheral blood in polymyalgia rheumatica/giant cell arteritis.
abstract: The phenotypic characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocytes were investigated in 22 patients suffering from active polymyalgia rheumatica/giant cell arteritis (PMR/GCA) prior to steroid treatment. We observed a significant reduction in the absolute number and the relative percentage of CD4-, CD8+ and CD3+, CD16+ and/or CD56+ cells compared to controls. Fifteen patients were investigated prospectively over a 6-month period of prednisone therapy. At the end of the study CD4-CD8+ cells had increased significantly compared to baselines, CD3+ CD16+ and/or CD56+ cells remained significantly lower when compared to controls. We did not observe any abnormalities in the absolute number and percentage of HLA-DR+ T lymphocytes, CD5+ B cells and NK cell phenotypes before or during steroid treatment. Our study confirms that there was significant increase in the absolute number of CD8+ T cells during steroid treatment in the PMR/GCA patients, but indicates the persistence of an immunological alteration despite the control of disease manifestations.
authors.affiliation: 2 Divisione di Medicina Interna (Unità Reumatologica), USL N9, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Macchioni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boiardi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salvarani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casadei-Maldini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beltrandi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Portioli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011111:Polymyalgia Rheumatica / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D011241:Prednisone