Alterations of CD4+CXCR5+Tfh cells and its transcription regulatory factors in children with asthma.
- Author:
Ya-Jie CUI
1
;
Guo-Hong CHEN
;
Jun-Ling WANG
;
Lin MA
;
Xiao-Ling GUO
;
Jian-Xiang LIAO
;
Cheng-Rong LI
;
Guo-Bing WANG
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Asthma; immunology; Child; Child, Preschool; DNA-Binding Proteins; genetics; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; blood; Infant; Interleukins; blood; Male; Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6; RNA, Messenger; analysis; Receptors, CXCR5; analysis; Repressor Proteins; genetics; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; immunology
- From: Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2014;16(12):1215-1219
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo study the alterations of follicular T helper cells (CD4(+)CXCR5(+)Tfh cells, Tfh) on circulating T lymphocytes in children with asthma, and to study the expression of transcription regulatory factors BCL-6 and BLIMP-1 mRNA.
METHODSSixty-four children with asthma and 25 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. On the basis of the disease, the children with asthma were classified into acute phase group (n=36) and remission phase group (n=28). The flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of CD4(+)CXCR5(+)Tfh cells on CD4(+)T lymphocytes. Real-time PCR was performed to detect the levels of BCL-6 mRNA and BLIMP-1 mRNA. The double -antibody Sandwich ELISA was used to detect plasma concentrations of total IgE, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-21.
RESULTSThe proportion of CD4(+)CXCR5(+)Tfh cells was significantly higher in the acute group than in the control group and the remission group (P<0.05). Transcription levels of BCL-6 mRNA were significantly higher, while the inhibitory factors BLIMP-1 mRNA was significantly lower in the acute group than in the remission group and control group (P<0.05). The plasma concentration of IL-6 in the acute group increased significantly compared with the control group (P<0.05). Plasma concentrations of total IgE and IL-21 increased significantly, in contrast, plasma IL-2 concentration decreased significantly in the acute group, compared with the control group and the remission group (P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that both IL-21 and IL-6 concentrations were positively correlated with the proportion of CD4(+)CXCR5(+)Tfh cells (r=0.76, r=0.46 respectively; P<0.05), while IL-2 level was negatively correlated with the proportion of Tfh cells (r=-0.68, P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONSThe abnormal proportion of CD4(+)CXCR5(+)Tfh cells might be involved in the immunological pathogenesis of acute asthma in children. The increased expression of BCL-6 mRNA and decreased expression of BLIMP-1 mRNA as well as the alterations of plasma total IgE, cytokines IL-2, IL-6 and IL-21 in microenvironment might be account for the increased proportion of CD4(+)CXCR5(+)Tfh cells in children with acute asthma.
