Th17 cells and CD4(+) multifunctional T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Recent evidence suggests that abnormalities involving Th17 lymphocytes are associated with the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In addition, multifunctional T cells (MFT), i.e., those producing multiple cytokines simultaneously, are present in the inflammatory milieu and may be implicated in the autoimmune process observed in SLE. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the functional status of CD4(+) T cells in SLE by simultaneously determining the concentration of IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-17 in lymphocyte cultures under exogenous and self-antigenic stimuli.



Eighteen patients with active disease, 18 with inactive disease, and 14 healthy controls had functional status of CD4(+) T cells analyzed.



We found that SLE patients presented a decreased number of total CD4(+) cells, an increased number of activated T cells, and an increased frequency of Th17 cells compared to healthy controls (HC). MFT cells had increased frequency in SLE patients and there was an increased frequency of tri-functional MFT in patients with active SLE compared with those with inactive SLE. Interestingly, MTF cells produced larger amounts of IFNγ than mono-functional T cells in patients and controls.



Taken together these data indicate the participation of recently activated Th17 cells and MTF cells in the SLE pathophysiology.
Department of Rheumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Júlio Antônio Pereira
JA
Araújo
Department of Rheumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Danilo
D
Mesquita
Department of Rheumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Department of Biomedicine, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás (PUC-GO), Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
Wilson
W
de Melo Cruvinel
Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Karina Inácio
KI
Salmazi
Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Esper Georges
EG
Kallás
Department of Rheumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: luis.andrade@unifesp.br.
Luis Eduardo Coelho
LE
Andrade
D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D016207:Cytokines
Linfócitos T; Linfócitos T multifuncionais; Lúpus eritematoso sistêmico; Multifunctional T cells; Systemic lupus erythematosus; T lymphocytes; Th17