CD4+CD25high regulatory T cells are markedly decreased in blood of patients with pemphigus vulgaris.
BACKGROUND
It remains to be determined whether pemphigus vulgaris (PV), an autoimmune blistering disease, has a reduction and/or dysfunction of CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T (Treg) cells.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the frequency and phenotypes of Treg cells in blood of patients with PV.


METHODS
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were prepared from PV patients as well as normal and disease control volunteers, and the frequency and phenotypes of Treg cells were determined by flow cytometry. CD4(+)CD25(+) and CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of PV patients and normal controls were subjected to real-time semiquantitative RT-PCR for the expression of Foxp3 gene.


RESULTS
The proportion of Treg cells in all PV patients was severely reduced, approximately ten times less than controls. These observations were further confirmed by both diminished gene and protein expression of Foxp3 in the CD4(+)CD25(+) T cell population in PV patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Numerical impairment of Treg cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of PV.
Sugiyama
H
H
Department of Dermatology, University of Yamanashi, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, Chuo, Japan.
Matsue
H
H
Nagasaka
A
A
Nakamura
Y
Y
Tsukamoto
K
K
Shibagaki
N
N
Kawamura
T
T
Kitamura
R
R
Ando
N
N
Shimada
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000276:immunology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology*
D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit