Abstract
Objective. Th17 cells have been demonstrated to play an important role in the onset and development of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). In this study, we evaluated the expansion and clinical significance of circulating CD4+CD161+ T cell and its “effector” (CD4+CD25−CD161+ T cell) and “regulatory” (CD4+CD25+CD161+ T cell) subpopulations. Methods. Fifty-eight pSS patients and 16 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in our study. The cell populations and intracellular IL-17 expression were analyzed by flow cytometry. The disease activity was evaluated by the EULAR-SS Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI). Autoantibodies were measured by ELISA or indirect immunofluorescence assay. Results. The CD161+ T cell fractions showed higher proportions of IL-17-producing cells. The frequencies of the overall CD4+CD161+ T cell population and its effector subset were positively correlated with disease activity parameters and more severe disease manifestations. A significant elevation of the CD4+CD25+CD161+ T cell subpopulation was observed in the peripheral blood of pSS patients compared to HCs and this subset showed decreased regulatory functions compared with the CD4+CD25+CD161− population. Conclusion. Circulating CD4+CD161+ T cell populations associated with pSS disease activity and severity. These cells might be involved in the development of pSS and could be potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of pSS.
Highlights
Primary Sjogren’s syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by autoimmune damage of salivary glands (SG) and lacrimal glands that leads to dry-mouth and dry-eye symptoms
Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of Primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) patients and healthy controls are shown in Table 1. 58 pSS patients and 16 healthy controls with matched age and gender were recruited in this study
IFN-γ expression was increased in CD161+ subset compared to the CD161− subsets, there was no statistical significance between the IFNγ production level of these two subsets (28.88 ± 9.04 versus 43.02 ± 15.67, p > 0.05, Figure 1(b))
Summary
Primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by autoimmune damage of salivary glands (SG) and lacrimal glands that leads to dry-mouth and dry-eye symptoms. It has been shown that various immune cell populations such as macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, and B cells are involved in the pathogenesis of pSS [3,4,5]. A predominant presence of CD4+ T cells in inflammatory infiltrates in SG implied that T cell subsets might contribute to glandular damage in pSS [6, 7]. Th17 cells, which are characterized by the production of proinflammatory cytokine IL-17, have been proved to be involved in inflammation, autoimmunity, and glandular tissue damage in pSS [8,9,10]. In patients with pSS, presence of Th17 cells has been observed in inflamed tissues [12, 13]. In the salivary glands of pSS patients, Th17 cells were identified as the predominant infiltrating T cells [12]
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