Expressions of IL-22 in circulating CD4+/CD8+ T cells and their correlation with disease activity in SLE patients

• Published in: Clinical and experimental medicine Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 245 - 250
• Main Authors: Qin, Wei-Zi, Chen, Li-Li, Pan, Hai-Feng, Leng, Rui-Xue, Zhai, Zhi-Min, Wang, Chao, Li, Ruo-Jie, Wang, Song, Wang, Hui-Ping, Ye, Dong-Qing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Milan Springer Milan 01.12.2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; CD4 antigen; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD8 antigen; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cytokines; Data processing; Female; Flow Cytometry; Helper cells; Hematology; Humans; Interleukin 22; Interleukins - biosynthesis; Internal Medicine; Ionomycin; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - chemistry; Lupus; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - complications; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - immunology; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - pathology; Lupus nephritis; Lupus Nephritis - pathology; Lymphocytes T; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Nephritis; Oncology; Original Article; Pathogenesis; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; IL-22; Systemic lupus erythematosus
• ISSN: 1591-8890; 1591-9528; 1591-9528
• DOI: 10.1007/s10238-011-0134-9

Recently, Th17 cell-associated responses have received growing attention; however, the role of IL-22 (a cytokines also produced by Th17 cells) in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been widely explored. In this study, we analyze the frequencies of IL-22-positive CD4+/CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with SLE and their correlations with disease activity and clinical data. Five-color flow cytometry (FCM) was used to assess IL-22 production of CD4+/CD8+ T cells in PBMCs from 31 patients with SLE and 22 healthy control subjects, following stimulation ex vivo with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin for 4 h. Results showed that the percentages of IL-22-positive CD4+ T cells were increased in the PBMCs of patients with SLE compared with healthy control subjects, whereas there were no significant differences in the percentages of IL-22-positive CD8+ T cells. There was a strong positive correlation between the proportion of CD4+ T cells expressing IL-22 and SLEDAI score ( r s  = 0.65, P  < 0.001). Furthermore, the frequencies of IL-22-positive CD4+ T cells were significantly higher in patients with SLE with nephritis than those without nephritis ( Z  = −2.72, P  < 0.01). In conclusion, increased frequencies of IL-22-positive CD4+ T cells in patients with SLE and positive correlation with SLEDAI score and lupus nephritis suggest that this cytokine may be implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease.