title: Expressions of IL-22 in circulating CD4+/CD8+ T cells and their correlation with disease activity in SLE patients.
abstract: Recently, Th17 cell-associated responses have received growing attention; however, the role of IL-22 (a cytokines also produced by Th17 cells) in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been widely explored. In this study, we analyze the frequencies of IL-22-positive CD4+/CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with SLE and their correlations with disease activity and clinical data. Five-color flow cytometry (FCM) was used to assess IL-22 production of CD4+/CD8+ T cells in PBMCs from 31 patients with SLE and 22 healthy control subjects, following stimulation ex vivo with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin for 4 h. Results showed that the percentages of IL-22-positive CD4+ T cells were increased in the PBMCs of patients with SLE compared with healthy control subjects, whereas there were no significant differences in the percentages of IL-22-positive CD8+ T cells. There was a strong positive correlation between the proportion of CD4+ T cells expressing IL-22 and SLEDAI score (r                         (s) = 0.65, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the frequencies of IL-22-positive CD4+ T cells were significantly higher in patients with SLE with nephritis than those without nephritis (Z = -2.72, P < 0.01). In conclusion, increased frequencies of IL-22-positive CD4+ T cells in patients with SLE and positive correlation with SLEDAI score and lupus nephritis suggest that this cytokine may be implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei-Zi
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hai-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Rui-Xue
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: Zhi-Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ruo-Jie
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hui-Ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Wang
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; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000737:chemistry; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000097043:Interleukin-22
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D000097043:Interleukin-22