The clinical significance of circulating follicular helper T cells in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic myeloperoxidase antibody-associated vasculitis
10.3760/cma.j.issn.0578-1426.2018.10.008
- VernacularTitle:抗中性粒细胞胞质髓过氧化物酶抗体相关性血管炎患者外周血滤泡辅助 T细胞的变化及其临床意义初探
- Author:
Sen WANG
1
;
Meijuan ZHENG
;
Xianglian ZHOU
;
Yaqian LIU
;
Zongwen SHUAI
Author Information
1. 安徽医科大学第一附属医院风湿免疫科
- Keywords:
Antibodies;
anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic;
Anti-myeloperoxidase antibody;
Vasculitis;
Follicular helper T;
Inducible co-stimulator;
Programmed cell death protein 1
- From:
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine
2018;57(10):738-742
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the change of circulating follicular helper T cells (cTfh) in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic myeloperoxidase antibody-associated vasculitis (MPO-AAV), and to analyze the relationship between cTfh and disease activity. Methods Thirty-eight untreated MPO-AAV patients (patient group) and thirty-eight healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled in this study. cTfh and membrane expression of inducible co-stimulator(ICOS)and programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1) were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). Serum anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic myeloperoxidase antibody (MPO-ANCA) was measured by ELISA. Disease activity was evaluated by Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS). Results Compared with those in control group, the proportions of cTfh, ICOS+Tfh and PD-1+Tfh cells in patient group were significantly higher [(25.9±3.8)％vs. (21.0±5.3)％, P<0.001;(1.8±0.8)％vs. (0.8±0.5)％, P<0.001 and (10.2±2.8)％vs. (8.2±2.2)％, P=0.001, respectively]. Meanwhile, the expression of ICOS and PD-1 on cTfh in patient group was markedly more intensive (59.6±10.0 vs.49.2±6.9, P<0.001 and 532.6±104.2 vs. 485.1±73.4, P=0.025, respectively). In patient group, the proportion of cTfh was positively correlated with the ratio of ICOS+Tfh, the expression of ICOS, the level of MPO-ANCA and BVAS (r=0.407, P=0.011; r=0.705, P<0.001; r=0.737, P<0.001 and r=0.663, P<0.001, respectively). The expression intensity of ICOS on cTfh was positively associated with ICOS+Tfh ratio, serum MPO-ANCA and BVAS (r=0.388, P=0.016; r=0.645, P<0.001 and r=0.653, P<0.001, respectively). Nevertheless, the expression of PD-1 on cTfh was only positively correlated with the ratio of PD-1+Tfh (r=0.473, P=0.003). Conclusions Enhanced cTfh in patients with MPO-AAV might produce MPO-ANCA, which is related to the aggravation of MPO-AAV. Thus, cTfh and its ICOS could be potentially targeted for the treatment of MPO-AAV.
