[Study on ratio imbalance of peripheral blood Th17/Treg cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the relationship between balance of peripheral blood Th17 cells and Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to clarify the role the ratio imbalance of peripheral blood Th17/Treg cells playing in pathogenesis of RA.


METHODS
The ratio of peripheral blood Th17 cells and Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) Treg cells in RA patients and healthy subjects were determined by flow cytometry (FCM).


RESULTS
Compared with healthy controls, the ratio of both CD3(+) CD4(+) T cells and Th17 cells in RA patients increased significantly (P<0.05), while the percentage of Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) Treg cells was markedly lower (P<0.05). With the development of RA activity, the ratio of Th17 cells increased (P<0.05), and the ratio of Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) Treg cells decreased (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The disorder of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets in RA patients characterized by increased CD4(+) T cells. The imbalance between Th17 cells and Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) Treg cells resulted from increased ratio of Th17 cells and decreased ratio of Foxp3(+) CD4(+) CD25(+) Treg cells may play a critical role in RA progression.
Clinical Immunological Laboratory, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. niuqian991@126.com
Qian
Q
Niu
Zhuo-chun
ZC
Huang
Bei
B
Cai
Lan-lan
LL
Wang
Wei-hua
WH
Feng
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*