title: Expression of glucocorticoid induced TNF receptor family related protein (GITR) on peripheral T cells from normal human donors and patients with non-infectious uveitis.
abstract: The expression of the glucocorticoid induced TNF receptor family related gene (GITR) in subsets of T lymphocytes from human peripheral blood was studied. In normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, GITR expression on the resting CD4+ T cells was low but markedly increased after activation. The percentage of GITR+ T cells in the CD4+CD25+ T cell subpopulation (15.1%) was significantly higher than that in the CD4+CD25- T cell subpopulation (5.2%, P<0.01), suggesting a preferential co-expression of GITR with CD25. In a group of patients with non-infectious uveitis, a proposed T helper cell mediated autoimmune ocular disease, the GITR expression on the CD4+ T cells in both the active patients (34.5%) and the inactive patients (19.6%) was significantly higher as compared to that in the normal donors (10.7%; P<0.01 vs. active, P<0.05 vs. inactive). This increased GITR expression in T cells was only seen in the CD4 positive T helper cell subpopulation but not in the CD4 negative T cell subpopulation. GITR expression on the CD4+ T cells decreased when the patients became clinically quiescent. Therefore, GITR is an activation marker for the CD4+ T cells and preferentially co-expressed with CD25 on the CD4+ T cells in human peripheral blood. Its expression correlates with the clinical course of non-infectious uveitis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, 10B22, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-1857, USA. liz@nei.nih.gov
authors.forename: Zhuqing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Sankaranarayana P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Mahesh
authors.forename: Ben J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ronald R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Buggage
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Nussenblatt
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D053450:Glucocorticoid-Induced TNFR-Related Protein; D006801:Humans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014605:Uveitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D053450:Glucocorticoid-Induced TNFR-Related Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C491405:TNFRSF18 protein, human