title: [Quantity and function of regulatory T cells in hemocytopenic patients with positive BMMNC-Coombs test].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the quantity and function of regulatory T cells in immune related pancytopenia (IRP) and explore the significance of Treg cells in the pathogenesis of IRP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six IRP patients and 24 healthy donors were enrolled. The levels of IL-2 and TGF-β were detected by ELISA. The ratios of CD4(+)CD25(+)/CD4(+) and CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(low)/CD4(+) in bone marrow were examined with flow cytometry. The expressions of Foxp3 and galectin-10 mRNA in BMMNC were measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of IL-2 and TGF-β in bone marrow of untreated or recovered IRP patients [(5.6 ± 1.7), (6.2 ± 2.5) µg/L, (1.8 ± 0.7), (1.9 ± 0.8) µg/L]were significantly lower than those of healthy controls [(7.9 ± 3.7), (2.5 ± 0.9) µg/L, all P < 0.05]. The ratio of CD4(+)CD25(+)/CD4(+) cells in bone marrow of untreated IRP patients (22.5% ± 9.5%) was significantly lower than that of recovered IRP patients or healthy controls (27.1% ± 7.1%, 30.6% ± 8.6%, both P < 0.05). The ratio of CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(low)/CD4(+) cells in bone marrow of untreated IRP patients was significantly lower than that of recovered IRP patients or healthy controls (7.2% ± 2.7% vs 9.1% ± 4.7%, 10.4% ± 3.2%, both P < 0.05). The relative mRNA expressions of Foxp3 and galectin-10 were 0.34 ± 0.25, 0.69 ± 0.51, 0.82 ± 0.66 and 0.66 ± 0.11, 0.74 ± 0.11, 0.76 ± 0.09 in three groups respectively. The expressions of two factors in untreated IRP patients were significantly lower than those in recovered IRP patients or normal controls (all P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The abnormalities in quantity and function of Treg cells in IRP patients might play an important role in the pathogenesis of IRP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hong-lei
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-juan
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yi-hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Zong-hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003298:Coombs Test; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010198:Pancytopenia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta