title: Association of CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells with natural course of childhood chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) in the peripheral blood of patients with childhood chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) exhibiting thrombocytopenia and spontaneous remission. The findings of this study indicate the possibility of predicting spontaneous recovery and pathogenesis of childhood chronic ITP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven children with chronic ITP (seven thrombocytopenic and four spontaneous remission cases; mean age, 8.8 years; range, 1.7-14.9 years) were enrolled in this study. Five healthy children and eight healthy adults were included as controls. The frequency of Treg was evaluated by flow cytometry in the peripheral blood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, four patients (36%) achieved spontaneous remission within 2.8 years (mean year; range, 1.0-4.4 years). The frequency of Treg was significantly lower in patients with persisting thrombocytopenia (0.13%±0.09%, P<0.05), than that in the patients with spontaneous remission (0.30%±0.02%), healthy adults controls (0.55%±0.44%), and healthy children controls (0.46%±0.26%). A significantly positive correlation was found between the frequency of Treg and the platelet count in children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that a lower frequency of Treg contributes to the breakdown of self-tolerance, and may form the basis for future development of specific immunomodulatory therapies. Furthermore, Treg frequency has prognostic implication toward the natural course and long-term outcomes of childhood chronic ITP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea.
authors.forename: Bo Ra
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Son
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. ; Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Kyungpook National University Children's Hospital, Kyungpook National University Medical Center, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Yoon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Child; Chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura; Regulatory T cell; Spontaneous remission