Expression and significance of costimulatory molecule on peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with mixed connetive tissue disease

Objective To investigate the changes of expression of costimulatory molecule on peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations inpreliminary -diagnosis and post- treatment patients with mixed connetive tissue disease.Methods The expression of costimulators CD28 /CD152 and marks of lymphocyte cell CD3/CD4/CD8 on lymphocyte subsets in inpreliminary -diagnosis and post -treatment patients with mixed connetive tissue disease was deter mined by flow cytometry.Results The CD28 expressed on CD4 + T and CD8 + T cells were significantly decreased(P ＜ 0.05)in post - treatment patients.The CD152expressed on CD8 +T cell was significantly decreased(P ＜ 0.05)in post- treatment patients,while CD152 expressed on CD8 +T was signifantly increased(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The changes of expression of costimulatory molecule on peripheral blood lymphocytes may play an important role in immune dysfunction of MCTD patients. Key words: Costimulatory molecule ;  Mixed connetive tissue diease ;  T lymphocyte subpopulations ;