title: Aberrant frequency of IL-10-producing B cells and its association with Treg/Th17 in adult primary immune thrombocytopenia patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Regulatory B cells (Breg) are a distinct B cell subset with immunoregulatory properties. Pivotal to Breg function is interleukin-10. This study was to investigate the role of IL-10-producing B cell (B10) and its association with Treg and Th17 subsets in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from ITP patients and controls were stimulated with PMA, ionomycin, and Brefeldin A. The frequencies of CD19(+)IL-10(+) B cells, CD3(+)CD4(+)IL-17(+) Th17 cells, and CD4(+)CD25(hi)Foxp3(+) Treg cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The mRNA expression of Foxp3 and RORγt was detected by real-time quantitative PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of B10 cells was elevated in ITP patients. After first-line therapies, it remained at high level in patients who achieved complete or partial response but decreased in those who acquired no response. There was a positive correlation between B10 cells and Tregs in ITP both before and after therapies. The ratio of Treg/Th17 decreased in ITP, and it strongly correlated with B10 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of B10 cells is elevated in ITP and it correlates with both the Tregs counts and the Treg/Th17 ratio. B10 cells to regulate functional T cell subsets might be impaired in patients with ITP.
authors: Department of Haematology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Haematology, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China.
authors: Fanli
authors: F
authors: Hua
authors: Department of Haematology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Lili
authors: L
authors: Ji
authors: Department of Haematology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Yanxia
authors: Y
authors: Zhan
authors: Department of Haematology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Feng
authors: F
authors: Li
authors: Department of Haematology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Shanhua
authors: S
authors: Zou
authors: Department of Haematology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Internal Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, HI 96813, USA.
authors: Lihang
authors: L
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Haematology, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China.
authors: Song
authors: S
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Haematology, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China.
authors: Hao
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Haematology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Research Centre, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors: Yunfeng
authors: Y
authors: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000378:metabolism; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020126:Brefeldin A / Q000737:chemistry; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D015759:Ionomycin / Q000737:chemistry; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010703:Phorbol Esters / Q000737:chemistry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000097:blood*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018941:Antigens, CD19; D017252:CD3 Complex; C508609:IL10 protein, human; D020381:Interleukin-17; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D010703:Phorbol Esters; D016753:Interleukin-10; D020126:Brefeldin A; C119222:phorbol-12-myristate; D015759:Ionomycin