title: Regulatory T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Regulatory T cells have an important role in the control of self-reactivity, and in the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammatory conditions. The aim of this work was to perform a quantitative and functional analysis of regulatory T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We studied twenty-three patients with SLE (19 active, 4 inactive), and twenty-seven healthy subjects as well as fifteen patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The following cell subsets were analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by flow cytometry: CD4+CD25+, CD4+CD25(bright), CD4+Foxp3+ (Treg cells), CD8+CD28- (Ts cells), CD4+IL-10+ (Tr1 cells), and CD4+TGF-beta+ (Th3 cells). In addition, the in vitro suppressive activity of CD4+CD25+ lymphocytes was tested. We found no significant differences in the levels of all regulatory cell subsets studied in SLE patients compared to controls and RA patients. However, a defective regulatory function of CD4+CD25+T cells was observed in a significant fraction (31%) of patients with SLE. Our data indicate that although approximately one third of patients with SLE show an abnormal immunosuppressive function of Treg lymphocytes, their levels of the different regulatory T cell subsets in peripheral blood are not significantly different from those found in controls.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, UASLP, Ave. V. Carranza 2405, 78210 San Luis Potosí, S.L.P., México.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alvarado-Sánchez
authors.forename: Berenice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hernández-Castro
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Portales-Pérez
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baranda
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Layseca-Espinosa
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abud-Mendoza
authors.forename: Ana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cubillas-Tejeda
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González-Amaro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10