title: T-cell activity in HLA-associated autoimmune diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The existence of T-helper-1 (Th1) and T-helper-2 (Th2) subsets has been implicated in the regulation of several immune responses, and alterations in the Th1/Th2 balance have been involved in autoimmunity. The present study investigates the relative influence of Th1 and Th2 patterns in autoimmune responses in patients with HLA-associated autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study concerns 849 patients of both sexes, suffering from several autoimmune diseases. Tissue typing for HLA antigens of Class I (A, B, C) and Class II (DR, DQ) was carried out in all patients by conventional serologic methods, comparing results with frequencies detected in a normal population. Many immunological tests were also done. In particular, lymphocyte subsets (CD4+, CD8+, CD3-HLA-DR+, NK cells, sIg + B cells) were detected with monoclonal antibodies by a fluorescent cytometer. The changes in frequencies of T cell subsets were used to calculate the possible incidence of two effector phenotypes (TE-1; TE-2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the immunogenetic analysis confirmed the significant HLA-associations in several diseases. The essential T-cell changes were also exposed, thus defining the incidence of T-cell phenotypes (TE-1 = 56.3%; TE-2 = 34.8%). This finding suggested a major impact of cell-mediated immunity, as compared with that of antibody-mediated immunity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anomalies of Th1/Th2 balance can impact autoimmune disease, and in many cases a Th2 response can prevent Th1-mediated autoimmunity, which is the most evident phenomenon in several HLA-associated diseases.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Puglisi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capuano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verzillo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laurentaci
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens