The expression and clinical significance of follicular helper T cells, B cells and their subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
10.3760/cma.j.cn431274-20250110-00034
- VernacularTitle:系统性红斑狼疮患者外周血中滤泡辅助性T细胞、B细胞及其亚群的表达和临床意义
- Author:
Xin ZHANG
1
;
Wei KONG
1
;
Zhuoyang JIA
1
;
Yue SUN
1
Author Information
1. 南京鼓楼医院（南京大学医学院附属鼓楼医院）风湿免疫科，南京 210008
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Lupus erythematosus, systemic;
Follicular helper T cells;
B cells
- From:
Journal of Chinese Physician
2025;27(6):826-831
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To study the expression of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, B cells and their subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to preliminarily explore the relationship between Tfh cells and their subsets and the occurrence and development of SLE.Methods:A total of 38 SLE patients who were hospitalized in the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2020 to January 2021 and 23 healthy volunteers matched by age and gender were included. The expression of Tfh cells, B cells, their subsets and cytokines in the peripheral blood of healthy volunteers and SLE patients was analyzed by flow cytometry. The clinical data of SLE patients were collected to evaluate the correlation between Tfh cells and their subsets and disease activity.Results:The proportions of Tfh cells, primary B cells, memory B cells and plasma blasts in the peripheral blood of SLE patients and the level of interleukin-21 (IL-21) were significantly higher than those in healthy volunteers (all P<0.05). Among them, Tfh cells were mainly characterized by an increase in the proportion of Tfh17 cell subsets, and the proportion of Tfh17 cells was positively correlated with the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), primary B cells, and plasmatocytes ( r=0.592, 0.300, 0.379, all P<0.05). The proportion of Tfh cells was also positively correlated with SLEDAI-2K ( r=0.469, P<0.05). The proportions of Tfh cells and Tfh17 cells in the peripheral blood of SLE patients with medium to high disease activity were significantly higher than those in the low disease activity group (all P<0.05). After 3 months of treatment for SLE patients with medium to high disease activity, the proportions of Tfh ( P=0.04) and Tfh17 cells ( P=0.003) in the peripheral blood decreased compared with before. Conclusions:The disorder of Tfh cells and B cell subsets is involved in the occurrence and development of SLE. Peripheral blood Tfh17 cells can be used as biomarkers for evaluating the disease activity of SLE patients.
