title: Regulatory T cells in peripheral blood of patients with mixed connective tissue disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the percentage and absolute number of CD4+ regulatory T-cells (Treg) in 48 patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were classified on the basis of the stage of the disease: 17 patients were in the active stage and 31 in the inactive stage. The absolute number of CD4+/intracellular interleukin-10+ (IL-10+) and CD4+CD25+high Treg cells was determined by flow cytometry. The percentage of CD4+CD25+high suppressor T-cells was determined on the basis of Foxp3 expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage and the absolute number of CD4+CD25+high Treg cells were lower in patients than in healthy controls (p<0.04), and were further decreased in patients with active MCTD and were lower than in the inactive stage (p<0.01). There was an increase in the percentage and absolute number of CD4+IL-10+ Treg cells in patients with MCTD compared to the healthy controls (p<0.02). The percentage of CD4+IL-10+ Treg cells was higher in the active stage of MCTD than in the inactive stage of the disease (p<0.005). However, we did not find any significant difference in the absolute number of CD4+IL-10+ Treg cells between the patients in the active and inactive stages of MCTD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the decrease in the number of CD4+CD25+high Treg cells in an important factor in the immunoregulatory disturbance in patients with MCTD. We suggest that the increase in the number of CD4+IL-10+ Treg cells is a compensatory mechanism aiming to restore the balance between type 1 and type 2 cytokines in MCTD.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Medical and Health Science Centre, University of Debrecen, Moritz Zs. Str. 22, 4004 Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baráth
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sipka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aleksza
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szegedi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szodoray
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Végh
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szegedi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bodolay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008947:Mixed Connective Tissue Disease / Q000097:blood*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D016753:Interleukin-10