title: Increased T cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 and its ligand in acquired aplastic anemia.
abstract: T cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 (TIM-3) is recently described as a T helper 1 (Th)1-specific molecule, participating in the regulation of immune responses and the pathogenesis of Th1-driven diseases. The TIM-3 pathway, however, has not been investigated in acquired aplastic anemia (AA). In this study, we examined the expression of TIM-3 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) at both transcript and protein levels in 29 acquired AA patients and in 31 controls. Increased mRNA expression of TIM-3 and IFN-gamma were observed in both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and bone marrow mononuclear cells from AA patients and controls using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. An increase of TIM-3 expression on PBMCs was detected increased in AA patients by flow cytometry. An overproduction of IFN-gamma was determined in the sera from AA patients by enzyme-linked immunoassay. In addition, the expression of TIM-3 ligand, galectin-9, increased in PBMCs from AA patients. The results are the first human data to demonstrate the increase of TIM-3 expression in AA. The enhanced TIM-3 engagement by its ligand in AA patients may play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Qilu Hospital of Shangdong University, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Conggao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D037161:Galectins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D000072597:Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D037161:Galectins; C448908:HAVCR2 protein, human; D000072597:Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2; C105032:LGALS9 protein, human; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007371:Interferon-gamma