title: Circulating Th17 and Th1 cells expressing CD161 are associated with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the percentages of major CD4+CD161+ T-cell subsets [T-helper (Th)17, Th1, and Th17/Th1] in peripheral blood are correlated with disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  In 42 RA patients and 15 healthy controls (HCs), the percentages of interleukin (IL)-17- and/or interferon (IFN)-γ-producing CD4+CD161+ T cells and the plasma levels of related cytokines were assessed by flow cytometry and cytometric bead array (CBA) analysis, respectively. Disease activity was evaluated by the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of circulating CD4+CD161+IL-17+IFN-γ- T cells (CD161+ Th17) in RA patients increased significantly and was higher in patients with active disease status (DAS28 > 3.2) compared with those with low disease status (DAS28 ≤ 3.2), and correlated positively with DAS28, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), IL-17, and IL-6 levels in RA patients. The percentage of circulating CD4+CD161+IL-17-IFN-γ+ T cells (CD161+ Th1) decreased and correlated negatively with DAS28, CRP, and ESR levels in RA patients, while the percentage of CD4+CD161+IL-17+IFN-γ+ T cells (CD161+ Th17/Th1) was unchanged in RA patients and was not correlated with RA disease activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that the percentages of circulating CD161+ Th17 and CD161+ Th1 cells in RA patients reflect the degree of disease activity. They support the hypothesis that Th17 cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RA and that CD161+ Th17/CD161+ Th1-cell imbalance may contribute to the development of RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Xijing Hospital , Shaanxi Province , PR China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D020381:Interleukin-17; D002097:C-Reactive Protein