Volume 41, Number 1, February 2008
| | Frequency and phenotypic analysis of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis |
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Chih-Ming Wei1,2, Jyh-Hong Lee1, Li-Chieh Wang1, Yao-Hsu Yang1, Luan-Yin Chang1, Bor-Luen Chiang1,3
1Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei; 2Huai-Te Li Pediatric Clinic, Taipei County; and 3Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
Received: November 14, 2006 Revised: March 10, 2007 Accepted: April 26, 2007
Corresponding author: Dr. Bor-Luen Chiang, Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Fl. 7, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan. E-mail:
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Background and Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells and their phenotypic expression in peripheral blood of children with active and non-active juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and healthy controls, to determine if their frequency or phenotypic expression is involved in the immunoregulation of this disease.
Methods: From October 2004 to October 2005, 55 JIA patients and 55 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study at National Taiwan University Hospital. Flow cytometry was used to determine the frequency of CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD25hi in CD4+ T cells and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) expression on CD4+CD25+ by tricolor staining. Basic profiles, medication history, clinical symptoms and laboratory data were obtained by chart review and outpatient department interviews.
Results: There was no significant difference in expression of CD4+CD25+ T cells between patients with inactive JIA and normal controls (13.74 ± 3.25% vs 12.85 ± 3.68%, p>0.05). The expression of CD4+CD25hi T cells was significantly lower in inactive JIA patients than in normal controls (1.89 ± 1.01% vs 2.76 ± 1.28%, p<0.01). The expression of CTLA-4 on CD4+CD25+ T cells was also significantly lower in inactive JIA patients compared with controls (4.37 ± 2.02% vs 6.33 ± 2.57%, p<0.001).
Conclusion: We speculate that a decreased frequency of CD4+CD25hi regulatory T cells and lower level of CTLA-4 expression on CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells might play a role in the immunoregulation of JIA.
Key words: Arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid; CD4-positive T-lymphocytes; Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4; Immunophenotyping; T-lymphocyte subsets
J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2008;41:78-87.
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