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CD4+CD25+ but not CD4+Foxp3+ T cells as a regulatory subset in primary biliary cirrhosis

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 7, pages 485–490 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Increasing evidence indicates a role for regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the immune response and in autoimmune diseases, but the role of Tregs and cytokines in autoimmune hepatic diseases remains largely unclear and controversial, especially in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). This study was undertaken to investigate Tregs and different cytokines in the liver and peripheral blood of PBC patients. We found that these patients demonstrated a reduction of CD4+CD25+ T cells but elevated CD4+Foxp3+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD4+ T cells. The percentage of CD4+CD25+ T cells in PBMCs was negatively correlated with elevated plasma interferon (IFN)-γ levels. A liver-specific analysis showed that the frequency of Foxp3+ Tregs, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and IFN-γ were increased in PBC patients. Our findings suggest that an imbalance between CD4+CD25+ Tregs and cytotoxic cytokines plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of PBC while the role of Foxp3 needs further investigation.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Jiangsu Province 135 Talent Foundation (RC2007004).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China

    Dandan Wang, Huayong Zhang, Jun Liang, Zhifeng Gu & Lingyun Sun

  2. Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China

    Qiang Zhou & Xiangshan Fan

  3. Immunology Laboratory, Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

    Yayi Hou

Authors
  1. Dandan Wang
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  2. Huayong Zhang
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  3. Jun Liang
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Correspondence to Lingyun Sun.

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Wang, D., Zhang, H., Liang, J. et al. CD4+CD25+ but not CD4+Foxp3+ T cells as a regulatory subset in primary biliary cirrhosis. Cell Mol Immunol 7, 485–490 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2010.40

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