Characteristic of CD4~+CD25~(high)CD127~(low/-)T Cells in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective To detect Peripheral blood CD4+CD25highCD127low/-T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods Peripheral blood CD4+CD25+, CD4+CD25high, CD4+CD127low/-, CD4+CD25+ CD127low/-, and CD4+CD25highCD127low/-T cells in 41 SLE patients and 24 healthy volunteers were analyzed by 3-color flow cytometry. Levels of anti-dsDNA, immunoglobulin and complement were also measured. Results Peripheral blood CD4+CD25highCD127low/-T cells in SLE patients was obviously less than that in control group (P 0.001); CD4+CD25highT cells was also less than that of control group (P 0.001). In comparison to control group, the level of CD4+CD25+, CD4+CD127low/-, and CD4+CD25+CD127low/-T cells in patients with SLE didn’t show a significant change (P 0.05). This five group cells had nocorrelation with age, sex, course, IgG, IgA, IgM, urine protein, TPU, anti-dsDNA, anti-C1q, anti- nuclear body antibody (P 0.05); CD4+CD25+CD127low/-T cells, CD4+CD25+T cells, and CD4+CD127low/-T cells had no correlation with SLEDAI ( P 0.05). But the number of CD4 +CD25highCD127low/-T cells and CD4+CD25high T cells inversely correlated with SLEDAI (P 0.001). CD4+CD25highCD127low/-T cells positively correlated with CD4+CD25high T cells (r = 0.987, P 0.001). Conclusion CD4+CD25highCD127low/-T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis and activity of SLE; CD4+CD25highCD127low/-T cells may be the best representative of Treg cells; used as surrogate markers.