title: Circulating Angiogenic T Cells and Their Subpopulations in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular risk. Angiogenic T cells (Tang), a specific T cell subset, have been identified and involved in the repair of damaged endothelium. This study aimed to analyze the Tang cell subsets in relation to disease specific features from SLE patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tang cell subsets were assessed in peripheral blood samples from 41 SLE patients and 22 healthy controls (HC) by flow cytometry on the basis of CD31 and CXCR4 expression on CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of circulating CD8+CD31+CXCR4+ T cells (CD8+ Tang), but not CD3+CD31+CXCR4+ T cells (Tang) and CD4+CD31+CXCR4+ T cells (CD4+ Tang), in SLE was higher than HC. The percentages of Tang cell subsets in anti-dsDNA-positive SLE patients were significantly increased as compared to their negative counterparts and HC. Additionally, the levels of circulating Tang cell subsets were negatively correlated with age at sampling and at diagnosis, but not disease duration or disease activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anti-dsDNA-positivity may identify a group of SLE patients with increased Tang cell subsets and circulating CD8+ Tang cells may be viewed as a potentially useful biomarker of endothelial damage and cardiovascular risk in SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors.forename: Jinlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese Navy General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Gastroenterology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China; Department of Hematology and Rheumatology, Hanzhong 3201 Hospital, Medicine School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Hanzhong 723000, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors.forename: Kui
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors.forename: Minghua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Gastroenterology, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chinese Navy General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China.
authors.forename: Xiaokun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex