Expression of Regulatory T Cells in Syphilis Patients

Objective To determine the percentage of T cell subsets and regulatory T cells in peripheral blood of syphilis patients and the clinical significance of these T cell subsets. Method The percentage of CD3,CD3+CD4+CD8-,CD3+CD4-CD8+,CD4+CD45RA+,CD4+CD29+,CD8+CD28+,CD8+CD28- T cell subsets,NK cells and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of 32 patients with syphilis and 30 control subjects were determined by flow cytometry. Result Compared with the control subjects, the percentage of NK cells in patients with syphilis was decreased(P 0.05) and the percentage of CD4+CD25+ and CD3+CD4-CD8- regulatory T cells was significantly increased(P 0.001),and the percentage of other T cell subsets in syphilis patients was not changed.Conclusion Abnormal changes of CD3+CD4-CD8- and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in syphilis patients may be responsible for the positive RPR test and the relapse of the disease.