title: Alteration of Th17 and Treg cell subpopulations co-exist in patients affected with systemic sclerosis.
abstract: Aim of the study has been to understand the relationship between TH17 and Treg cell subsets in patients affected with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Phenotypes and functions of Th17 and Treg cell subsets were analyzed in a series of 36 SSc patients. Th17 cell concentration in the peripheral blood was found to be increased in SSc patients with respect to healthy controls independently from type or stage of disease. After PBMC stimulation with a polyclonal stimulus or Candida albicans antigens the frequency of Th17 T cell clones was significantly higher in SSc patients with respect to controls suggesting the skewing of immune response in SSc patients toward Th17 cell generation/expansion. Concerning the Treg compartment, both CD4+CD25+ and CD8+CD28- Treg subsets showed quantitative and qualitative alteration in the peripheral blood of SSc patients. Collectively, these data highlight the existence of an imbalanced ratio between Th17 and Treg cell subsets in SSc patients.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fenoglio
authors.forename: Florinda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stringara
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Negrini
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Panico
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kalli
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Conteduca
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghio
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Palma
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Indiveri
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Filaci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines