RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 T regulatory cells are markedly diminished in diseased salivary glands of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP 2438
OP 2445
VO 34
IS 12
A1 Xiaomei Li
A1 Xiangpei Li
A1 Long Qian
A1 Guosheng Wang
A1 Hong Zhang
A1 Xiaoqiu Wang
A1 Ke Chen
A1 Zhimin Zhai
A1 Qing Li
A1 Yiping Wang
A1 David C H Harris
YR 2007
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/34/12/2438.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE: To investigate the abnormalities of T regulatory cells (Treg) in salivary glands and peripheral blood in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). METHODS: Levels of CD4+CD25+ high T cells of the peripheral blood of 52 patients with pSS were measured by flow-cytometric assay. Lower lip salivary gland biopsies were examined by immunohistochemistry, using monoclonal mouse anti-human antibodies [CD25, CD4, CD8, CD68, forkhead transcription factor (Foxp3)] in 30 patients with pSS. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, Foxp3 messenger RNA expression was assessed in the salivary glands and CD4+ T cells from peripheral blood. RESULTS: Many inflammatory cells, predominantly CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and macrophages, were found in salivary glands of patients with SS, but CD4+CD25+ Treg numbers and Foxp3 expression were markedly reduced in those biopsy samples. Levels of CD4+CD25+ high T cells and Foxp3 expression in peripheral blood of patients with pSS were significantly lower than in healthy controls. However, the inhibitory function of CD4+CD25+ T cells in pSS was unchanged compared to that of controls. Peripheral CD4+CD25+ high T cell numbers in pSS did not correlate with Schirmer's test and salivary flow rate, or with the presence or absence of anti-SSA/SSB antibodies and immunoglobulin level. CONCLUSION: The remarkable reduction of Treg numbers in salivary glands and reduction of CD4+CD25+ high T cells in peripheral blood suggests a possible role for absence of Treg in the pathogenesis of salivary gland destruction in pSS.