Abstract
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disease characterized by an immune mediated decrease in platelet number. Disturbance of CD4+ T‐cell homeostasis with simultaneous decrease of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) as well as unrestricted proliferation and activation of peripheral CD4+ effector T cells underpin the pathophysiology of ITP. Indirubin is an active ingredient of a traditional Chinese herb called Indigofera tinctoria L. which is clinically used for the treatment of ITP patients. Whether indirubin targets the Tregs/effector T cell‐axis to restore platelet number is unknown. In our in vitro studies, Indirubin could significantly enhance the number and function of Tregs and meanwhile dampen the activation of effector T cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Indirubin was observed to restore the expression of programmed cell‐death 1 (PD1) and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) on the CD4+ T cells of ITP patients, leading to the subsequent attenuation of the AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, these observations were recapitulated in an active murine model of ITP with a prominent platelet response. Thus, our results identified a potentially novel mechanism of the therapeutic action of indirubin in the treatment of ITP through regulating the homeostasis of CD4+ T cells in a PD1/PTEN/AKT signalling pathway.
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