A Study Of CD4～+CD25～+ Regulatory T Cells And Cytokines In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objectiveto investigate the proportion of CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cells(Treg),CD4~+/CD8~+T cell subsets , and the cytokines level of in peripheral blood ofpatients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA) and study their role in the pathogenesisof RA.MethodsWe studied the levels of CD4~+CD25~+T cell,the subsets oflymphocytes and the cytokines: IL-2,IL-4,IL-10,IFN-γand TGF-βinperipheral blood from 25 patients during early stage of RA and 13 healthycontrols. The RA patients were incipient (the duration of disease=2 years) andhad not treated with glucocorticoid or immunodepressants before. The bloodsamples were evaluated with the flow cytometry for lymphocytes subsets, anddetected with ELISA for the cytokines.ResultsThe percentage of CD25~+,CD4~+CD25~+ and CD8~+ cell in peripheralblood from RA group were significantly lower than that of health controls,i.e.(1.81±0.80)% vs (3.67±1.71)%, (1.50±0.68)% vs (2.40±1.08)%, ( 27.6±9.56)% vs (35.31±9.11)% (p<0.01 or p<0.05);However, the percentage ofCD95~+ cell was significantly higher than controls (28.30±12.16) % vs (16.87±7.90) % (p<0.01) , indicating the expression of Treg from RA were deficient. The ratios of CD25~+/CD4~+,CD4~+CD25~+/CD4~+ of RA patients wer e lower than controls[(0.05±0.02)% vs(0.11±0.07)%, (0.04±0.02)% vs (0.07±0.04)%,p<0.01 or p<0.05],but the ratio of CD4~+/CD8~+ of patients were higher than controls[(1.61±0.80)%vs (1.06±0.45)%,p<0.01]. The expressionof Treg from RA was positive associated with RF (p<0.05),but there wasno correlation with the levels of ESR,CRP(p>0.05). the levels of IFN-γand TGF-βin the serum of patients with RA were significantly higher than controls [(4.40±3.23)pg/ml vs (2.56±1.15)pg/ml,(22.40±9.43)pg/ml vs (15.63±8.37)pg/ml, p<0.05],indicating a Th1 type of cytokine profile in peripheral blood.ConclusionThe frequencies of Treg in peripheral blood from patients during earlystage of RA were deficient , the ratio of CD4~+/CD8~+ in serum from RA wasincreased obviously ,It suggested that cellular immunity in RA is shifted to Th1type immunity, The abnormality of the CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cells may playan important role in the pathogenesis of RA.