[Analysis of Foxp3+ CD4+ CD25+ regulatory cells in peripheral blood of patients with SLE].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of GITR on T cells and the expression of Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with SLE.


METHODS
The expression of GITR and Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood was determined by flow cytometry(FCM).


RESULTS
Compared with health control, the expression of Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells in peripheral blood from SLE patients was lower (P<0.05), but there is no difference in the expression of Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells between active and inactive SLE patients (P>0.05). GITR expression on both CD3(+) CD4(+) T cells and CD3(+) CD8(+) T cells of SLE patients increased significantly (P>0.05). With the development of SLE activity, GITR expression didn't change significantly on both CD3(+) CD4(+) T cells (P>0.05) and CD3(+) CD8(+) T cells (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The expression abnormality of both Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory cells and GITR may play important role in the imbalance of immune homeostasis in SLE.
Wei
Hong-gang
HG
Clinical Immunological Laboratory, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Cai
Bei
B
Wang
Lan-lan
LL
Li
Jia
J
Feng
Wei-hua
WH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology*; D053450:Glucocorticoid-Induced TNFR-Related Protein; D006801:Humans; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000276:immunology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D053450:Glucocorticoid-Induced TNFR-Related Protein; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C491405:TNFRSF18 protein, human