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Decreased Levels of Circulating CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells in Patients with Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome

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Abstract

Introduction

CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cell dysfunction has been documented in various autoimmune disorders, but not in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) so far.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we aim to investigate CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells, CD3+CD19− T cells and CD3−CD19+ B cells in patients with primary APS and healthy controls. Cell subtypes were immunophenotyped using specific monoclonal antibodies (anti-CD3 CY5, anti-CD4 FITC, anti-CD25, anti-Foxp3, anti-CD19 PE) and flow cytometry.

Results

Twenty patients with APS and 20 age- and sex-matched controls were studied. The percentage of total lymphocytes, activated Th cells (CD4+CD25+), Treg cells and CD3−CD19+ B cells were found significantly lower in APS patients as compared to controls (all p < 0.05).

Conclusion

A dysfunction in CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells may represent one of the mechanisms leading to autoimmunity in APS patients. The decreased number of CD3−CD19+ B cells of APS patients warrants further elucidation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Immunosenescence, Institute of Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biosciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Ester Rosári Raphaelli Dal Ben, Carine Hartmann do Prado, Talita Siara Almeida Baptista & Moisés Evandro Bauer

  2. Rheumatology Department, Saint Lucas Hospital of PUCRS, Av. Ipiranga, 6690/220, Porto Alegre, 90610-000, Brazil

    Henrique Luiz Staub

Authors
  1. Ester Rosári Raphaelli Dal Ben
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  2. Carine Hartmann do Prado
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  3. Talita Siara Almeida Baptista
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  4. Moisés Evandro Bauer
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  5. Henrique Luiz Staub
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Correspondence to Henrique Luiz Staub.

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Dal Ben, E.R.R., do Prado, C.H., Baptista, T.S.A. et al. Decreased Levels of Circulating CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells in Patients with Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome. J Clin Immunol 33, 876–879 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-012-9857-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-012-9857-y

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