Abstract
Purpose :
To examine immune profile of peripheral blood leukocytes in initial-onset acute Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH) and sarcoidosis (Sar) patients.
Methods :
Study subjects consisted of 7 treatment-naïve initial-onset acute VKH patients and 7 treatment-naïve sarcoidosis patients with ocular findings in acute phase. Controls consisted of 7 healthy volunteers. Peripheral blood was collected, and the proportions of 37 types of leukocytes in the blood: [lymphocytes, CD3+ cells, CD8+ cells, naïve CD8+ cells, central memory CD8+ cells, effector memory CD8+ cells, terminal effector CD8+ cells, CD4+ cells, naïve CD4+ cells, central memory CD4+ cells, effector memory CD4+ cells, terminal effector CD4+ cells, Tregs, Th1-like, Th2-like, Th17-like, γδ T cells, MAIT/NKT cells, B cells, naïve B cells, memory B cells, plasmablasts, NK cells, NK cells early, NK cells late, monocytes, classical monocytes, transitional monocytes, non-classical monocytes, DCs, plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), myeloid DCs (mDCs), granulocytes, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, and CD66b−neutrophils] were measured by a mass cytometry. The property similarities of the leukocytes in three group were evaluated by hierarchical cluster analysis.
Results :
The leukocytes in VKH, Sar and control groups were broadly divided into 5 principal clusters as follows: (1) Cluster A [plasmablasts, naïve B cells, B cells, Th17-like, effector memory CD4+ cells, Tregs], (2) Cluster B [naïve CD4+ cells, CD4+ cells, central memory CD8+ cells, basophils, central memory CD4+ cells], (3) Cluster C [CD66b−neutrophils, classical monocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, granulocytes], (4) Cluster D [Th2-like, terminal effector CD4+ cells, terminal effector CD8+ cells, non-classical monocytes, Th1-like, effector memory CD8+ cells] and (4) Cluster E [the remaining cells]. In VKH group, the intensities of Cluster A and Cluster B were high compared to those in Sar and control groups, while the intensity of Cluster D was low. The intensity of Cluster C in Sar group was high compared to that in VKH and control groups. In VKH and Sar groups, the intensity of Cluster E was low compared to that in control group.
Conclusions :
The activities of CD4+ cells, especially Th17 cells and B lymphocytes may be induced in acute phase of VKH, while it could be suggested that the activity of innate immunity composed predominantly of monocytes is activated in the phase of Sar.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.