Diminution of Circulating CD4+CD25 high T cells in naïve Crohn's disease.
Crohn's disease is considered to be caused either by an excess of T-cell effector functions and/or by a defective regulatory T-cell compartment. The aim of this study was to assess in Crohn's disease the frequency of circulating CD4(+)CD25(high) T cells that possess regulatory T-cell functions and CD4(+)CD25(low) T cells that contain activated T cells. Flow cytometry of peripheral blood was used to assess CD4(+)CD25(high) and CD4(+)CD25(low) T-cell frequencies in a cohort of 66 patients with Crohn's disease in comparison to 19 patients with ulcerative colitis and 31 healthy individuals enrolled as controls. The CD4(+)CD25(high) T-cell frequency was significantly lowered in naïve Crohn's disease (P = 0.013) and in ulcerative colitis (P = 0.001). CD4(+)CD25(low) T-cell frequency was increased in Crohn's disease (P = 0.0001) and in ulcerative colitis (P = 0.0002). Both CD4(+)CD25(high) and CD4(+)CD25(low) T-cell frequencies are altered in naïve Crohn's disease resulting in an imbalance between both populations and a relative contraction of the CD4(+)CD25(high) T-cell population.
Chamouard
Patrick
P
Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie et d'Assistance Nutritive, Hôpital de Hautepierre, 67098 Strasbourg Cedex, France. Patrick.Chamouard@chru-strasbourg.fr
Monneaux
Fanny
F
Richert
Zoe
Z
Voegeli
Anne-Claire
AC
Lavaux
Thomas
T
Gaub
Marie Pierre
MP
Baumann
René
R
Oudet
Pierre
P
Muller
Sylviane
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000097:blood*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit