title: CTLA-4 expression in T cells of patients with atopic dermatitis.
abstract: Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4; CD152) is a surface molecule of activated T cells with sequence homologous to CD28, and may act as a negative regulator of T-cell activation. In murine animal models, cross-linkage of CTLA-4 molecules on the cell surface results in decreased T-cell proliferation, accompanied by increased interleukin (IL)-2 production and apoptosis. To clarify the activation of peripheral blood T cells, we studied the CTLA-4 expression in 32 patients with atopic dermatitis who visited our institution, and 19 normal children who visited for pre-operative laboratory examination were used as normal controls. Whole blood was obtained from all subjects and stained with anti-CD3, anti-CD4, anti-CD8 monoclonal antibodies (mAb). After erythrocyte lysis with lysing solution, the cells were stained with anti-CTLA-4 mAb, and stained cells were analysed by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACScan) flow cytometer. Intracellular expression of CTLA-4 was significantly upregulated in peripheral blood CD3+ T cells (36.8%), CD4+ T cells (21.7%) and CD8+ T cells (18.7%) of patients with atopic dermatitis, compared with normal control (18.3%, 9.7%, 9.8%; respectively). Furthermore, CTLA-4-positive CD3+ T cells in patients with severe atopic dermatitis were significantly higher compared with milder group (42.8% vs. 32.2%). However, no significant difference was obtained in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Mean percentage of T cells expressing CTLA-4 in patients with atopic dermatitis was higher than the control group. These observations suggest the possibility that the disease activity can be correlated with the CTLA-4 level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Allergy, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine [corrected] Seoul [corrected] Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Yon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Myung Hyun
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: Byoung Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Kyu-Earn
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; C556706:CTLA4 protein, human; C556707:Ctla4 protein, mouse