| Objective To investigate the expression of costimulatory molecules B7-1 B7-2 and CD28 in patients with Henoch-Schonlein purpura ( HSP) and explore their possible significance .Method Applying reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique and flow cytometry(FCM) to quantitatively analyze B7-1 , B7-2 and CD28 expression on PBMC(peripheral blood mononuclear cells) of 38 HSP patients (11 patients were diagnosised as HSPN) and 20 healthy subjects. Relation between these costimulatory molecules and some clinical information were also analyzed.Results RT-PCR: Compared with normal controls, expression of CD28 mRNA and B7-2 mRNA in HSP both increase, but there is no salient increment when B7-1 mRNA expression is concerned. FCM: Positive Expression Cell Rate (PECR) and Relative Mean Fluorescence Intensity (RMFI) of B7-2 are both high in patients with HSP in comparison with controls. There is no statistical difference between PECR of CD28 in patients with HSP and that in the controls, but RMFI of CD28 in HSP is significantly higher than that in the controls. Neither PECR of B7-1 nor RMFI of B7-1 in patients with HSP is significant different from those in the controls. Relation with clinical information : Expression of costimulatory molecules in all 38 patients with HSP has no significant correlation with the level of IgA in the blood. B7-2, CD28 expression of 18 patients with HSP whose urine microalbumin within 24 hours(24h UMA) is elevated are significantly higherthan those of the other patients whose 24h UMA is normal , and there were positive correlation between expression of CD28 , B7-2 and 24h UMA, a sensitive marker of renal injury, in these 18 patients.Conclusion The abnormal expression of CD28 and B7-2 may play a pathological role in the development of HSP. Having positive correlation with 24h UMA, B7-2 and CD28 may be utilized as an immunological marker to evaluate the condition of patients with HSP and detect renal injury at earlier period.
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