Decreased CD161+CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood of patients suffering from rheumatic diseases

Although it has been reported that the numbers of both CD4(-)CD8(-) and CD4(+) natural killer T (NKT) cells are selectively decreased in the peripheral blood of patients with rheumatic diseases, there have been no reports concerning a novel subpopulation of CD8(+) NKT cells. To examine whether CD161(+)CD8(+) T cells, which are closely related to CD8(+) NKT cells, are also decreased in patients with rheumatic diseases, we have investigated the expression of CD161, together with that of CD28, CD25 and CD62L, on T cells in the peripheral blood of these patients.

The rheumatic diseases evaluated in this study were systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (n= 54), mixed connective-tissue disease (MCTD) (n= 15), systemic sclerosis (SSc) (n= 14), polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) (n= 13) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n= 24). Healthy donors were examined as controls (n= 18). The expression of CD161, CD28, CD25 and CD62L on T cells was analysed by flow cytometry.

Both the frequency of CD161 expression on CD8(+) cells and the absolute number of CD161(+)CD8(+) cells were significantly decreased in patients with SLE, MCTD, SSc and PM/DM. Only the absolute number of CD161(+)CD8(+) T cells was significantly decreased in RA. CD161 expression on CD28(-)CD8(+) T cells was significantly decreased in SLE, MCTD and SSc. The absolute number of CD161(+)CD8(+)CD62L(-) T cells was significantly decreased in SLE, MCTD and SSc.

Both the frequency and the absolute number of CD161(+)CD8(+) T cells were decreased in the peripheral blood of patients suffering from SLE, MCTD, SSc and PM/DM. This result suggests that there is also an abnormality of NKT cells in the CD8(+) population.