title: Elevated level of circulating CD4+Helios+FoxP3+cells in primary Sjogren's syndrome patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to investigate the expression of regulatory T cells in primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS) and to evaluate the clinical role of CD4+Helios+FoxP3+cells in pSS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  CD4+FoxP3+T cells in the peripheral blood of 39 pSS patients and 30 healthy controls were measured by flow cytometry and CD25 and Helios expression were also analyzed. The repression ability of CD4+CD25hicells was tested in vitro. Clinical information of pSS patients was retrospectively collected and their correlations with circulating Treg cells were analyzed. Cytokine levels in plasma were measured by ELISA and correlations with Helios+FoxP3+cells were also detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Circulating FoxP3+and Helios+FoxP3+cells were elevated in pSS patients compared with controls. The suppression function of CD4+CD25hicells is not different between two groups. There are inverse correlations between Helios+FoxP3+percentage and ESR, IgG, IgM and ESSDAI. Anti-SSB-patients possess higher level of Helios+FoxP3+cells than anti-SSB+patients. IL-6, IFNγ and IFNα levels were increased in pSS plasma and there were positive correlations between the levels of IFNγ/IFNα and percentage of Helios+FoxP3+cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating Helios+FoxP3+cells were elevated in pSS patients and may contribute to suppressing autoimmunity in pSS patients.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Laboratory , Peking University People's Hospital , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Laboratory , Peking University People's Hospital , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Laboratory , Peking University People's Hospital , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Laboratory , Peking University People's Hospital , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: a Department of Clinical Laboratory , Peking University People's Hospital , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051740:Ikaros Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C090173:FOXG1 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C111431:IKZF2 protein, human; C508017:IL2RA protein, human; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D015850:Interleukin-6; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051740:Ikaros Transcription Factor
keywords: FoxP3; Helios; Treg; interferon; pSS