title: Abnormal expression of CD43 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and its clinical significance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies indicate that CD43 plays a role in regulating the adhesion of lymphocytes, cell mutation and activation, however, little is known about its effect on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study was designed to explore the clinical significance of CD43 in SLE patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used microarray and real-time PCR to detect the mRNA and protein expression of magnetic bead sorted T cells and B cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of SLE patients, and analyzed the relationship between CD43 and the clinical indexes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both microarray and real-time PCR results showed that CD43 mRNA was significantly decreased in PBMCs of SLE patients compared with healthy controls (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences between lupus nephritis and non-lupus nephritis patients, and neuropsychiatric and non-neuropsychiatric patients. CD43 mRNA expression was significantly reduced in T cells but not in B-cells in SLE patients compared to healthy controls (P < 0.01). Compared with healthy controls, the percentage of CD43(+) cells in the PBMCs of SLE was significantly decreased (P = 0.004), and the CD43 fluorescence intensity in CD3(+)/CD43(+) cells and CD19(+)/CD43(+) cells was also significantly weaker than in healthy controls (P = 0.039 and 0.003). There was no significant difference in the percentage of CD3(+)/CD43(+) cells, CD19(+)/CD43(+) cells between the two groups. The CD43 fluorescence intensity in CD3(+)/CD43(+) cells was inversely correlated with the levels of IgG and IgM (r = -0.8 and -0.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to healthy controls, both CD43 mRNA and protein expressions were reduced in T cells from patients with SLE, and were inversely correlated with IgG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li-xia
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Feng-chun
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fu-lin
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: De-nian
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Ba
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D051917:Leukosialin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051917:Leukosialin