Peripheral blood mononuclear cells proliferation and Th1/Th2 cytokine production in response to streptococcal M protein in psoriatic patients.
BACKGROUND
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that is probably a T cell-mediated autoimmune condition which is strongly associated with streptococcal throat infections. Although some groups have associated the involved response with different streptococcal antigens, M protein has been described as the major virulence factor of Streptococcus pyogenes. Thus, it is necessary to describe some features of the cellular responses to this streptococcal antigen.


METHODS
Proliferation and Th1/Th2 cytokine production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in response to total soluble extracts from type M5 S. pyogenes with (TSE37Sp) and without (M(-)TSESp) M protein were analyzed in 10 psoriatic patients and 10 healthy controls.


RESULTS
PBMC from both patients and controls proliferated to both extracts. Responses to M(-)TSESp were significantly lower than those to TSE37Sp (P < 0.05). PBMC IL-2 and gammaIFN production after TSE37Sp stimulus was much higher than after M(-)TSESp antigenic stimulation in both groups (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, IL-4 production was quite low in both groups and in response to both extracts. We found a differential production of IL-10 between groups. PBMC from healthy controls responded to TSE37Sp with a much higher production of this cytokine as compared to the responses showed to M(-)TSESp while the cells from psoriatic patients responded without differences in the production of IL-10.


CONCLUSIONS
Results obtained suggest an important Th1 response to M protein in psoriatic patients which could be associated with the cellular responses involved in psoriasis, while healthy subjects respond in a probably non-Th2 IL-10 producing regulatory T cells fashion.
Pérez-Lorenzo
Rolando
R
Centro de Investigaciones en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, México. rolperez@uacam.mx
Núñez-Oreza
Luis Alberto
LA
Garma-Quen
Patricia Margarita
PM
López-Pacheco
Eduardo
E
Bricaire-Bricaire
Guadalupe
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000097:blood*; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; C014689:streptococcal M protein