Coincident activation of Th2 T cells with onset of the disease and differential expression of GRO-gamma in peripheral blood leukocytes in minimal change disease.
BACKGROUND
Involvement of Th2 T cells/NFkappaB in minimal change disease (MCD) has been postulated. A promising but unconfirmed glomerular permeability factor (GPF) from MCD T cells has been described. We explored whether GPF was the consequence of Th2 cell activation.


METHODS
Peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) from 16 MCD patients and 7 normal controls were analyzed and the results were statistically compared.


RESULTS
Flow cytometry demonstrated a significant expansion of CD4+ T cell population and dramatically increased CD69+ cells among CD4+ T cells in MCD, suggesting coincident activation of T cells with onset of the disease. RT-PCR on RNA from either freshly isolated PBL or post in vitroactivation showed high-level expression of the Th2 cytokine interleukin-4 in all MCD patients. Importantly, both antibody microarray assay on sera and RT-PCR on mRNA of PBL revealed expression of a CXC chemokine GRO-gamma (growth-related oncogene) in all MCD patients as compared with one of 7 controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results reveal an association between onset of MCD and activation of Th2 cells. The GRO family has been implicated in the function of endothelial cells, and its expression is under NFkappaB regulation. Thus, GRO-gamma is a promising candidate for Th2-associated GPF in MCD.
Adrogue
Horacio E
HE
Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine and the Methodist Hospital, Houston, Tex., USA.
Borillo
Jason
J
Torres
Lisa
L
Kale
Arundhati
A
Zhou
Cindy
C
Feig
Daniel
D
Merszei
Justin
J
Johnson
Richard
R
Lou
Ya-Huan
YH
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000378:metabolism; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D050533:Glomerular Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009402:Nephrosis, Lipoid / Q000276:immunology*; D010539:Permeability; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D016207:Cytokines; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D000099192:CD69 Antigens; C499707:CXCL3 protein, human