title: CD69 to CD3 ratio of peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a marker to monitor systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity.
abstract: CD69 is an early T cell activation marker. In order to investigate whether the disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is correlated with T cell hyperactivity as well as B cell hyperactivity, we measured the CD69 to CD3 ratio (CD69/CD3) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 42 SLE patients and 18 healthy controls. To assess B cell activation, we measured the levels of anti-dsDNA, complement C3 and C4. Disease activity was assessed with the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) score. The mean value (+/- standard deviation) of CD69/CD3 for SLE patients (3.34 +/- 0.486) and healthy controls (0.92 +/- 0.015) were significantly different (P < 0.05). CD69/CD3, anti-dsDNA, C3 and C4 were all significantly correlated with SLEDAI (r = 0.50, 0.51, -0.68, -0.31, respectively, P < 0.05). CD69/CD3 could explain 25.4% of the variance in SLEDAI, and 6.7% of the variance that was independent of anti-dsDNA, C3 and C4. In patients with SLEDAI scores which were discordant with anti-dsDNA, C3 and C4 values, CD69/ CD3 still showed high correlation with SLEDAI. We conclude that CD69/CD3, which detects T cell activation is correlated with SLEDAI scores. Thus, T cell activation contributes part of the disease activity independent of B cell activity. This marker can complement in the estimation of disease activity when levels of anti-dsDNA, C3 and C4 fail to show good correlation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, ROC.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Shau
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000097:blood*; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000032:analysis; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015415:Biomarkers; D017252:CD3 Complex; D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4; D004247:DNA; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D000099192:CD69 Antigens