The Expression Of FOXP3 In CD4~+CD39~+T Cells Of Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus And The Observation Of Influence With Glucocorticoid

Objective To investigate the level of FOXP3 expressed in CD4+CD39+T cells in peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) and observe the regulation of glucocorticoid on it .Methods 47 patients with SLE, according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria were studied. There were 7 males and 40 females, their ages ranged from 13 to 61 years, mean(33.5±12.0)years. 22 healthy volunteers with no history of autoimmune disease were studied as controls and there were 5 males and 17 females, their ages ranged from 20 to 37 years, mean(29.3±5.0)years. Frequencies of CD4+CD25+CD39+, CD4+CD25+FOXP3+, and CD4+CD39+FOXP3+T cells and levels of FOXP3 protein were analyzed by flow cytometry. Meanwhile, correlations among three groups and influences of glucocorticoid were analysed.Results Percents of CD4+CD25+CD39+, CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ and CD4+CD25highT cells were decreased in patients with avtive SLE compared with inactive SLE and healthy controls(P<0.05 in each group),but there were no significant difference between inactive SLE and healthy controls ( P > 0.05 ) . The level of CD4+CD25+CD39+T cells had no correlation with levels of SLEDAI scores, CRP, ESR, immunoglobulin, complement and serum anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies et al(P>0.05 for each).Levels of FOXP3 protein expressed in CD4+CD25+, CD4+CD25high and CD4+CD39+T cells didn't show significant difference among three groups(P>0.05 for each),but in each group, the level of FOXP3 protein expressed in CD4+CD39+T cells and CD4+CD25highT cells was higher than that expressed in CD4+CD25+T cells(P<0.01 for each), while it had no significant difference between the CD4+CD25highT cells and CD4+CD39+T cells(P>0.05). FOXP3 was highly expressed in CD4+CD39+T cells, and negligible FOXP3 expression was found in CD4+CD39- T cells population. Percents of CD4+CD25+CD39+T cells of 10 untreated patients with active SLE were significantly increased at 1 days, 3 days and 7 days after being treated with predinosine 60mg/d compared with those before receiving treatment(P<0.05 for each), but levels of FOXP3 protein expressed in peripheral CD4+CD39+T cells had no significant change(P>0.05 for each).Conclusion These results demonstrate that CD39 may be a better surface marker of regulatory T cells, and that deficiency of CD39+Treg cells may play an important role in the pathogenesis of SLE.