title: Increased numbers of circulating ICOS⁺ follicular helper T and CD38⁺ plasma cells in patients with newly diagnosed primary biliary cirrhosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aberrant activation of follicular helper T (TFH) and B cells is associated with the development of autoimmune diseases. However, little is known about the potential role of these cells in the development of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed at characterizing the numbers of different subsets of circulating Tfh and B cells as well as evaluating their potential association with the levels of immunoglobulins and autoantibodies in newly diagnosed PBC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The numbers of circulating CD27(+), CD38(+), CD86(+) and CD95(+) B cells as well as inducible T cell costimulator (ICOS)(+) and programmed death-1 (PD-1)(+), IL-21(+) TFH cells were examined in 58 patients with newly diagnosed PBC and 30 matched healthy controls (HCs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The numbers of circulating CD38(+)CD19(+), CD86(+)CD19(+), and CD95(+)CD19(+) B cells; CD3(+)CD4(+)CXCR5(+)ICOS(+) and CD3(+)CD4(+)CXCR5(+)PD-1(+) Tfh cells; and the levels of serum IL-21 in the PBC patients were significantly greater, but the numbers of CD27(+)CD19(+) B cells were significantly less than those in the HCs (p < 0.05). The numbers of CD3(+)CD4(+)CXCR5(+)ICOS(+) Tfh cells were positively correlated with the numbers of CD38(+)CD19(+) and CD86(+)CD38(+)CD19(+) B cells and the levels of serum anti-mitochondrial antibodies against M2 antigen (AMA-M2), AMA and immunolgubin M (IgM) in the PBC patients. The levels of serum IL-21 were positively correlated with the levels of serum AMA-M2, AMA, IgG and IgM, but negatively with the numbers of CD27(+)CD19(+) B cells in the PBC patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased numbers of circulating ICOS(+) and IL-21(+) Tfh and CD38(+) plasma cells may be exhibited by patients with recent diagnoses of PBC.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Research, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130032, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jinpeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Yanjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Pingwei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yanfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1 / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D015551:Autoimmunity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D060889:Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein / Q000097:blood*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; C556692:ICOS protein, human; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D060889:Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein; D007378:Interleukins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C498154:CD38 protein, human; D051997:ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1; D000098546:Interleukin-21