Abstract
Purpose: :
To determine CD57+ T cells and CD4+CD25+FOXP3 T cells in patients with different clinical-stages of ocular Graves disease.
Methods: :
Patients (n=15) were divided into 3 groups: Group A were patients with the clinical diagnosis of inactive graves disease (IGD), Group B were patients with active Graves disease without treatment (AGWT), Group C were patients with active Graves disease with treatment (AGT). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained and were labeled with fluorescent antibodies against CD4, CD8, CD25, CD57, and FOXP3. Results were analyzed by flow-cytometry and T test was used for statistical analysis.
Results: :
We observed 1.1 times more percentage of CD4+ T cells (p=0.02) and 1.4 times more percentage of CD8+ T cells (p=0.04) in AGWT patients than in IGD patients. In AGT patients the percentage of CD4+ T cells was similar to IGD patients and was diminished 1.1 times in contrast to AGWT patients (p=0.03). Interesting, we observed 1.9 times more percentage of CD4+CD25+ T cells in AGWT patients than in IGD patients. Both subsets of CD57+ T cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, were significantly increased in AGT patients than in AGWT patients (p=0.02, p=0.006, respectively). CD4+CD25+ T cells were increased 3.4 times more in AGT patients than in AGWT patients (p=0.004). FOXP3 expression on CD4+CD25+ T cells was similar in all groups.
Conclusions: :
Despite that CD57 expression on T cells has been related to effector function, recently was reported that T cells bearing CD57 have a regulatory role with suppressive activity to conventional CD4+ T cells. It would we possible that the regulation of human Graves hyperthyroidism contribute more than one regulatory T cell subset. Functional studies are needed to know the real function of these T cells in ocular Graves disease.
Keywords: autoimmune disease • flow cytometry • immunomodulation/immunoregulation