ID: 38: Plasmacytoid and myeloid dendritic cells in whole peripheral blood producing intracellular cytokines in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by active cellular reactions, in which formation dendritic cells (DC) are directly involved in particular by of various cytokines production [1] . Objectives To estimate intracellular cytokine production by different subsets of DCs in peripheral blood (PB) in patients with RA. Methods Monoclonal antibody for flow cytometry CD3, CD16, CD19, HLA-DR, CD11c, CD123, IL-10, IL-4, IFN- α , IL-12 (BD, USA) were added to the PB of 9 patients with RA and 14 healthy donors. Results Estimated low expression of IL-4, IL-10 as the key Th2 cytokines in myeloid (mDC) and plasmacytoid (pDC) dendritic cells in RA patients confirms the hypothesis of altered immune response towards Th1 pathway in this disease. Significant level of IL- 12 intracellular production was determined only in RA pDC that indicate their active involvement and participation in pathological process. This fact also confirms the presence of the cytokine imbalance as IFN- α plays an important immunoregulatory role in enhancing the Th1 cell-mediated immunity. Conclusions mDC and pDC in PB in patients with RA compared to healthy donors shows increase of IL-12 and IFN- α producing cells and decrease of IL-4 and IL-10 producing cells that indicate prevalence ability of DC in cellular immune response forming in patients with RA.