Effects of Treg cells on treatment of chronic brucellosis patients

Abstract

Objective To investigate the percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg) in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with chronic brucellosis and the percentage change before and after treatment of different regimens, and to analyze the influence of Treg cell-induced immunosuppression on the therapeutic effect of chronic stage brucellosis. Methods Using case-control study, 35 patients with chronic brucellosis who were hospitalized in Heilongjiang General Hospital of Agriculture Bureau [28 males, 7 females, aged (45.37 ± 20.16) years old] were selected as case group. According to the treatment regimen, they were divided into standard treatment group (15 cases) and immune enhancer group (20 cases), the treatment was 20 d; 30 cases of in-hospital health examinations were selected [16 males and 14 females, aged (35.53 ± 11.38) years old] as control group. Peripheral blood sample of the subject was collected before and after the treatment, the Treg cells as a percentage in peripheral blood lymphocytes were detected by flow cytometry. And the percentage change of Treg cells of brucellosis patients who underwent different treatment regimens was analyzed. Results Before treatment, the percentage of Treg cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes of the control group, the standard therapy and the immune enhancer groups [(1.69 ± 0.38)%, (3.12 ±0.86)%, (3.05 ± 1.07)%] was significantly different (F= 25.89, P 0.05). After treatment, the percentage of Treg cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes of the control group, the standard therapy and the immune enhancer groups [(1.69 ± 0.38)%, (3.06 ± 0.76)%, (2.85 ± 0.89)%] was significantly different (F= 30.84, P 0.05), and compared with the same group before the treatment, respectively, the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusions The percentages of Treg cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes of the chronic brucellosis patient are not significantly changed before and after different treatment regimens. It suggests that the immunesuppression induced by Treg cells may be one of the reasons why the host organism cannot effectively remove residual Brucella in the body, which leads to chronic infection. Key words: Brucella; Immunity, cellular; Regulatory T cells; T-lymphocytes