Delineating circulating lymphocyte subsets in the transition from gout remission to recurrence

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Clinical Medicine
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Lymphocytes and their subsets play a role in gout onset and remission.
• The specific functions of lymphocytes in gout recurrence and complete remission are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize lymphocyte immunophenotypes in different gout stages.
• To develop a predictive model for gout remission and recurrence.

Main Methods:

• Multiplex flow cytometry analyzed 75 lymphocyte immunophenotypes in patients with acute gout flare, gout remission, and healthy controls.
• LASSO regression was used to build a predictive model incorporating immunophenotyping candidates and clinical parameters.

Main Results:

• Distinct lymphocyte profiles were observed across patient groups.
• A model combining T peripheral helper cells, virus-specific cytotoxic NK cells, and Vδ1/Vδ2 cell inhibition predicted remission from controls (AUC=0.934).
• Inhibition of Vδ2 cells, virus-specific cytotoxic NK cells, and specific CD8+ T cells predicted remission from acute flares (AUC=0.814) and recurrence (AUC=0.724).

Conclusions:

• Alterations in Vδ2 cells and virus-infected specific cytotoxic NK cells correlate with gout remission and recurrence.
• These findings aid in clinically defining gout stages and understanding disease progression mechanisms.