title: Expression of inducible co-stimulator on peripheral blood T lymphocytes in patients with lupus nephritis.
abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease and lupus nephritis (LN) represents a major clinical manifestation. Studies have shown that elevated inducible co-stimulator (ICOS) in SLE. The purpose of the study was to investigate the expression of ICOS on T cells in patients with LN. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to analyze the expression of ICOS on peripheral blood T lymphocytes in LN patients, SLE patients without nephritis, and healthy controls. The expression of ICOS on CD4 + CD45RO + and CD8 + CD4RO + T cells was significantly increased in SLE patients when compared with healthy controls (P < 0.001). In addition, ICOS expression in patients with nephritis was higher than those without nephritis (P < 0.01). Taken together, our results suggest that ICOS co-stimulatory pathway is important in the pathogenesis of LN; blockade of the pathway might represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of LN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, 230032 Hefei, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wen-Xian
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hai-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Guo-Ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jin-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Xiang-Pei
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong-Qing
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D060889:Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D060889:Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein