Circulating CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells in the Pathobiology of Ulcerative Colitis and Concurrent Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

• Published in: Digestive diseases and sciences Vol. 58; no. 5; pp. 1250 - 1255
• Main Authors: Kekilli, Murat, Tunc, Bilge, Beyazit, Yavuz, Kurt, Mevlut, Onal, Ibrahim Koral, Ulker, Aysel, Haznedaroglu, Ibrahim Celalettin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.05.2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Biochemistry; Case-Control Studies; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Cholangitis, Sclerosing - complications; Cholangitis, Sclerosing - immunology; Colitis, Ulcerative - complications; Colitis, Ulcerative - immunology; Female; Gastroenterology; Hepatology; Humans; Male; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; Monoclonal antibodies; Oncology; Original; Original Article; ROC Curve; T cells; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - physiology; Transplant Surgery; Ulcerative colitis; Young Adult; Primary sclerosing cholangitis; CD4+CD25+ T cells; Pathophysiology; Ulcerative colitis
• ISSN: 0163-2116; 1573-2568
• DOI: 10.1007/s10620-012-2511-y

Background Immunopathogenetic features of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in ulcerative colitis (UC) still remains unclear. Peripheral blood CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells have a key role in the induction and maintenance of peripheral self-tolerance and inhibit several organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Therefore, CD4+CD25+ T cells are believed to play an essential role in autoimmune diseases. The aim of the present study is to analyze the role of CD4+CD25+ T cells in the pathogenesis of UC-associated PSC. Methods This study evaluated the levels of CD4+CD25+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 27 UC patients with PSC and 20 UC patients as controls. CD4+CD25+ T cells were isolated from PBMC with a direct immunofluorescence technique, using mice monoclonal antibodies namely FITC-labeled anti-CD4 and PE-labeled anti-CD25. In each patient, CD4+CD25+ T cells percentage in PBMC were studied by flow cytometry, and then the number of CD4+CD25+ T cells were calculated. Results Twenty-seven UC patients with PSC and 20 UC patients without PSC as controls were enrolled in the present study. The percentage of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells among PBMC were significantly elevated in UC + PSC patients compared with UC patients without PSC ( p  = 0.04). Conclusions CD4+CD25+ T cells were found to be elevated in UC patients with PSC suggesting a partial role of activated T cell response in the disease pathophysiology. Our findings imply that CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells may play a key role in the immunopathogenesis of UC-associated PSC and may affect the therapeutic management of these diseases.