title: Interferon-gamma- and interleukin-4-producing T cells in Down's syndrome.
abstract: Down's syndrome (DS) associates with genetic-dependent dysregulation of the interferon (IFN) system. We used intracellular cytokine staining to analyse the percentages of IFN-gamma- and interleukin (IL)-4-producing T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with DS, individuals with mental retardation (MR), and healthy controls (HCs). The percentages of IFN-gamma-producing CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells (IFGCs), namely Th1 (mean, 21.4+/-S.D. 1.3) and Tc1 (12.6+/-1.1), and the Th1/Th2 ratio (6.1+/-0.2) in DS were significantly higher than in MR (15.9+/-1.3, 7.9+/-0.6, 4.8+/-0.3) and in HCs (15.6+/-1.9, 7.2+/-1.1, 4.6+/-0.6). Most of the DS patients with high IFGC percentages were seropositive for anti-transglutaminase IgA. We found no correlation between sex, age, APOE genotypes, coexisting autoimmune diseases, susceptibility to infections, or degree of cognitive impairment and high IFGC percentages. This abnormality might thus contribute to immune dysfunction in DS without manifest clinical correlates.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, IRCCS, Foundation "Neurological Institute C. Mondino", University of Pavia, I-27100 Pavia, Italy. diego.franciotta@mondino.it
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Franciotta
authors.forename: Annapia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verri
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zardini
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andreoni
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Amici
authors.forename: Remigio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moratti
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nespoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma