title: Assessment of regulatory T cells in childhood immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
abstract: This study had the objective to assess the frequency of Tregs in children newly diagnosed with ITP and ascertain whether an association exists between Tregs and platelet counts, by means of a comparison with healthy controls. This case-control study included 19 patients newly diagnosed with ITP-whose blood samples were collected at four points in time: before any therapy and 1, 3, and 6 months after diagnosis-and 19 healthy controls. Tregs (CD4(+) CD25(+)Foxp3 T cells) were evaluated by flow cytometry. There was a statistically significant difference in platelet count between the case and control groups. There were no significant differences in Treg counts between cases and controls at any point during the course of the study and no difference in Treg counts between the chronic and nonchronic groups and no significant correlation between Tregs and platelet counts in the case and control groups. The findings of this study did not show any statistically significant correlation between Tregs and number of platelets in the case and control groups. Treg cells did not play a role in the regulation of autoimmunity in children with ITP.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação da Criança e do Adolescente, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Escola de Medicina, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil ; Departamento de Oncologia e Hematologia, Hospital da Criança Santo Antônio-Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil ; Centro de Terapia Celular, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karina L M
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Mazzucco
authors.forename: Lauro M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Junior
authors.forename: Natália E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: Andréa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wieck
authors.forename: Annelise
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezzi
authors.forename: Alvaro M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Laureano
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Amorin
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valim
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Silla
authors.forename: Liane E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Daudt
authors.forename: Paulo J C
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Marostica