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Assay of T- and NK-cell subsets and the expression of NKG2A and NKG2D in patients with new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus

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Abstract

This study aims to explore the percentage of T-cell and NK-cell subsets, the expression of NKG2A and NKG2D on CD3+ T cells and CD3−CD56+ NK cells on the total lymphocytes in new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, and explore clinical significance of these cell subsets. Thirty-two SLE patients and 32 normal controls were enrolled. Flow cytometry was used to count T- and NK-cell subsets and to detect the expression of NKG2A and NKG2D on CD3+ T cells and CD3−CD56+ NK cells in patients with new-onset SLE. Results show that CD4+ T (t = 2.04, P < 0.05), CD4+/CD8+ T cell (t = 2.66, P < 0.05), CD4+ CD25+ T (t = 2.48, P < 0.05), CD3+CD56+ natural killer T (NKT) (t = 40.05, P < 0.01), CD3−CD56+CD16+ NK-cell subsets (t = 3.50, P < 0.01) were significantly decreased, CD8+ T-cell subsets was significantly increased in patients with new-onset SLE (t = 3.80, P < 0.01), as compared with healthy controls. CD8+ T-cell subset was significantly increased in patients with vasculitis (t = 2.47, P < 0.05), and CD3−CD56+CD16+ NK was increased in patients with arthritis (t = 3.21, P < 0.01). However, no statistically significant correlation was found among different PBMC subsets and SLEDAI activity scores. Patients with SLE had a lower expression of NKG2A (U = 2.42, P < 0.05) as well as NKG2A/NKG2D ratio (t = 2.61, P < 0.05) and a higher expression of NKG2D (t = 2.21, P < 0.05) on CD3+ T cells, compared with normal controls. However, they had a higher expression of NKG2A (t = 2.59, P < 0.05) as well as NKG2A/NKG2D ratio (t = 49.45, P < 0.01) and a lower expression of NKG2D (t = 3.05, P < 0.01) on CD3−CD56+ NK cells. Taken together, the findings indicate the decreased CD4+ T-cell, CD4+/CD8+ T-cell, CD4+CD25+ T-cell, CD3+CD56+ NKT-, and CD3−CD56+CD16+ NK-cell subsets, increased CD8+ T-cell subsets as well as the abnormal expression of NKG2A and NKG2D on CD3+ T and CD3−CD56 + NK cells may play a role in the etiology of SLE.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30771848) and the key program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (30830089).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230032, People’s Republic of China

    Wen-Xian Li, Hai-Feng Pan, Jian-Li Hu, Chang-Zhong Wang, Ning Zhang, Jing Li & Dong-Qing Ye

  2. Department of Immunology, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, People’s Republic of China

    Chang-Zhong Wang

  3. Department of Rheumatology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei, People’s Republic of China

    Xiang-Pei Li

  4. Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China

    Jian-Hua Xu

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  1. Wen-Xian Li
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Correspondence to Dong-Qing Ye.

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Li, WX., Pan, HF., Hu, JL. et al. Assay of T- and NK-cell subsets and the expression of NKG2A and NKG2D in patients with new-onset systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Rheumatol 29, 315–323 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1322-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1322-9

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