Expression Pattern of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) Variants and Bcl-2 in Peripheral Lymphocytes of
Armin Attar1, Mohsen Khosravi Maharlooei2, Mohammad Ali Nazarinia3
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Division of Interventional Cardiology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Iranian Journal of Pathology
|August 6, 2020
Summary
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients show altered lymphocyte apoptosis. B cells may be more active early in SLE, while T cells become more involved in chronic stages, indicated by reduced Bcl-2 expression.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease.
- The roles of B and T lymphocytes in SLE pathogenesis are not fully understood.
- Investigating lymphocyte proliferation and apoptosis in SLE is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare telomerase activity and apoptosis status in B and T cells of SLE patients versus healthy controls.
- To identify differences in lymphocyte behavior between SLE patients and controls.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional case-control study with 10 SLE patients and 10 healthy controls.
- Magnetic cell sorting to isolate B and T cells.
- Telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay and real-time PCR for telomerase activity and variant expression.
Main Results:
- Significant telomerase activity observed in T cells of treated SLE patients.
- Telomerase activity detected in B cells of newly diagnosed SLE patients.
- Reduced Bcl-2 expression, a pro-apoptotic marker, found in B cells and trending lower in T cells of SLE patients.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest distinct roles for B and T cells in different SLE disease phases.
- B cells may play a larger role in early SLE, with T cells becoming more prominent in chronic stages.
- Altered apoptosis regulation in lymphocytes may contribute to SLE pathogenesis.
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