Analysis Of Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets In Naive Treatment Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients With Lymphopenia

Objective:To investigate the distribution characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in patients with initial SLE,and to explore the relationship between lymphocyte reduction and infection and disease activity.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 66 women with naive treatment SLE who were admitted to the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology,Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from July 2016 to October 2018.According to the absolute value of SLE lymphocytes,32 patients were divided into normal lymphocytes,25 patients with lymphopenia(LY<1.0×109/L),and 9 patients with severe lymphopenia(LY<0.5×109/L).Thirty age-matched healthy adult women served as healthy controls.The absolute number of lymphocyte subsets and T subpopulations was measured by flow cytometry(FCM)(total T,CD4+T,CD8+T,T helper 1(Th1),T helper 2(Th2),T-assisted Cells 17(Th17)and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T regulate T(Treg)cells in peripheral blood).Results:The prevalence of oral ulcers,neurological abnormalities,renal involvement,serositis,myositis,alopecia,and thrombocytopenia was significantly increased in patients with lymphopenia compared with patients without lymphopenia(P<0.05);Incidence of infection and disease activity were increased(P<0.1);T cell subsets and NK Absolute counts of cells were significantly decreased(P<0.05),B cell percentage,Thl cell percentage,Th17 cell percentage,Treg cell percentage,Th1/Th2 cell ratio,Th17/Treg cell ratio increased significantly(P<0.05),Th17 cell percentage and Th1/Th2 ratio were positively correlated with SLEDAI score(P<0.05).The absolute numbers of T cells,CD4+ T cells,CD8+ T cells and Th2 cells were positively correlated with C3 levels(P<0.05),and the absolute numbers of T cells,CD8+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were significantly positively correlated with C4 levels(P<0.05).Conclusion:SLE lymphocyte reduction is associated with infection.SLE lymphocyte reduction is associated with disease activity.Decreased NK cells and T cells and increased B cells may be key pathophysiological features.There are Th17/Treg cells and Th1/Th2 cell imbalance in SLE.