title: Decreased interleukin 35 and CD4+EBI3+ T cells in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin 35 (IL-35) is likely to contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases, as the Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene protein 3 (EBI3) is the specificity subunit of IL-35. Nevertheless, until recently, no studies have evaluated its role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in humans. The objective of this study was to investigate the serum IL-35 level and the percentage of CD4EBI3 T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with SLE and explore the roles of double-positive T cells and IL-35 in the pathogenesis of SLE and the effects of glucocorticoid on these roles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five hospitalized patients with SLE were recruited, and 20 volunteers were enrolled as healthy controls. Serum IL-35 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the percentage of CD4EBI3 T cells was analyzed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum IL-35 level and the percentage of CD4EBI3 T cells were significantly decreased in patients with active SLE compared with healthy controls and patients with inactive SLE. The serum IL-35 level and the percentage of CD4EBI3 T cells were negatively correlated with the SLE disease activity index. The percentages of CD4EBI3 T cells and serum IL-35 levels in 10 untreated patients with active SLE were increased at days l, 3, and 7 after the treatment with methylprednisolone (0.8 mg·kg·d) compared with the percentages before the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that abnormalities in IL-35 and CD4EBI3 T cells may play important roles in the pathogenesis of SLE; the percentage of double-positive T cells and the level of IL-35 are parameters for the evaluation of SLE activity and severity.
authors: Departments of Nephrology (HOY, YBS, ZW, SF, SMK, YL) and Rheumatology (ZCL), Suzhou, China.
authors: Han
authors: H
authors: Ouyang
authors: Yong-Bing
authors: YB
authors: Shi
authors: Zhi-Chun
authors: ZC
authors: Liu
authors: Zhi
authors: Z
authors: Wang
authors: Sheng
authors: S
authors: Feng
authors: Shu-Min
authors: SM
authors: Kong
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007378:Interleukins; C532417:interleukin-35, human